Druschel: The first time Dave Dombrowski tore down a World Series winner
From Henry Druschel at The Hardball Times on December 5, 2019:
Dave Dombrowski did what every executive sets out to do: built a World Series winner. He crafted a roster through aggressive trades, expensive signings, and even some prospect development; that roster both played well and got lucky, ending their season with a championship. But before the celebratory champagne had dried, ownership presented Dombrowski with a demand: slash payroll.
The year was 1997, when Dombrowski was general manager of the then-Florida Marlins. But the year was also 2018, when Dombrowski was president of baseball operations with the Red Sox. Dombrowski is one of the few senior executives to have had the honor of winning two World Series titles. But unlike most who have shared that honor, Dombrowski has also twice been instructed to unwind those winning teams immediately after the World Series — a far more exclusive and far more dubious honor. The symmetry is curious, and the differences between the two build-ups and tear-downs are a stark demonstration of how MLB’s relation to profit has changed over the last two decades.
Read the full article here: https://tht.fangraphs.com/dave-dombrowski-teardown/
Originally published: December 5, 2019. Last Updated: December 5, 2019.