Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski with a "wild day of deal making" yesterday highlighted by the acquisition of P Chris Sale from the White Sox may have set the team "on course for another championship," according to Peter Abraham of the BOSTON GLOBE. Dombrowski "energized the Winter Meetings, obtaining Sale" for four prospects, including two "budding stars" in 3B Yoan Moncada and P Michael Kopech. Dombrowski "started the day by acquiring" P Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers and also signed 1B Mitch Moreland for one year at $5.5M (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/7). In Providence, Brian MacPherson in a front-page piece notes the Red Sox were not "in the market for starting pitching at the Winter Meetings," but Dombrowski had been talking about Sale with White Sox Senior VP & GM Rick Hahn "for months, and he pounced when he got the opportunity." Sale will earn $12M next season, "but the structure of his contract is such that he'll count just" $6.5M against the luxury-tax threshold. That "relatively paltry luxury-tax hit gives the Red Sox a chance to stay under" the $195M luxury-tax threshold "even as they add one of the game's best pitchers" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 12/7). Dombrowski yesterday said, "When you have a chance to win, you want to give yourself every opportunity to do so, and this deal improved us. Short of just a total giveaway of your system, or making moves that you don’t think are smart, I think you go for it" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/7).
NOT AFRAID TO PULL THE TRIGGER: CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam wrote for an executive with a "reputation for making bold moves, Dombrowski may have made his boldest one yet." Hired 17 months ago with a "mandate to make the Red Sox winners again after three last-place finishes in the span of four seasons, Dombrowski has acted aggressively and decisively." At a time when teams "protect their best young players as though their existence depends on them, Dombrowski has demonstrated a willingness to move them for a chance to win now" (CSNNE.com, 12/6). In Massachusetts, Christopher Smith wrote Dombrowski has "completed some mega trades during his career," but yesterday's "day of deals might go down as Dealin' Dave's biggest day of dealing" (MASSLIVE.com, 12/6). In Boston, Michael Silverman writes the Sale trade is the "biggest, boldest and best move of Dave Dombrowski’s still-young career with the Red Sox." He was "brought to Boston to swoop in for the kill on these deals." He was "brought in to win, and win now" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/7). ESPN BOSTON's Scott Lauber writes Dombrowski has "never shied away from bold, aggressive trades, and this was as bold as it gets" (ESPNBOSTON.com, 12/7). ESPN's Pedro Gomez said, "A lot of guys have money, but they're afraid to make the move. Dombrowski has never been afraid" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 12/7). In N.Y., Joel Sherman writes Dombrowski "stands out as arguably the majors’ most decisive executive," as he has "demonstrated he will move the sport’s version of heaven and earth -- dollars and prospects -- to get what he desires" (N.Y. POST, 12/7).
WORLD SERIES OR BUST? In Boston, Nick Cafardo writes under the header, "Dave Dombrowski Is All In On 2017." When Dombrowski came to Boston in '15 and "saw all of the trade chips he inherited, he was a kid in a candy store." He has been able to "turn those prize possessions into" Sale, Thornburg and fellow Ps Craig Kimbrel and Drew Pomeranz. He was also "able to turn last place into first place." Now he "needs this dissolving of more assets to turn into a World Series championship." Cafardo: "If that happens, it’s all worth it" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/7). USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale writes the Red Sox yesterday "shouted out to the world" that their future "is right now." Dombrowski "reminded us why he’s one of the last old-school gunslingers in a game that’s been taken over by computer nerds and analytic spreadsheets" (USA TODAY, 12/7). In Boston, Steve Buckley writes the best part about the Red Sox’ acquisition of Sale is that it "speaks to the annual expectation around" Boston that a World Series championship is "the end game." The Red Sox "either win the World Series or the season is a disappointment" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/7). ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes Dombrowski "came to Boston to spray champagne and ride the duck boats" during a World Series parade. If that means "paying a price that the other baseball decision-makers of his era are too cautious to pay," Dombrowski "doesn't care" (ESPN.com, 12/7). In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes the Sale trade is "proof that Dombrowski is exactly what we thought he would be." The book on Dombrowski is that "he’s about winning now." He is "not in that [former Red Sox GM] Ben Cherington school of holding on to prospects until they become suspects." Shaughnessy: "He’s not afraid of what Moncada and Kopech are going to be. He wants what Sale can do for the Red Sox now" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/7).
PART OF HIS DNA: FOXSPORTS.com's Ken Rosenthal wrote, "This is how Dombrowski rolls, how he has always rolled." It was "foolish to count Dombrowski out on Sale at the ’16 meetings, even Monday night when the Nationals stood a legitimate chance of acquiring" Sale (FOXSPORTS.com, 12/6). In Boston, Chad Finn writes Dombrowski has "arguably made more mega-deals than any baseball executive of his generation." Finn: "Never sleep on the possibility of Dombrowski making a major move, even when it seems unlikely. It’s who he is. It’s what he does. And frankly, it’s why they brought him here" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/7).
RIVALS TAKE NOTICE: Yankees Senior VP & GM Brian Cashman reacted to the trade yesterday, saying that the Red Sox are now MLB's "version of the" Warriors. Cashman: "They have their (Kevin) Durant and their (Draymond) Green and (Klay) Thompson and (Steph) Curry" (MASSLIVE.com, 12/6). SNY's Jon Hein said the Red Sox are now like the George Steinbrenner-era Yankees. Hein: "If I see a (player) out there like Chris Sale or someone else, I have a feeling the Red Sox are the probable destination" ("Loud Mouths," SNY, 12/6).
