Here’s what Dave Dombrowski said following John Farrell’s departure
Shortly after the Red Sox announced that John Farrell would not be returning as manager for the 2018 season, the club’s president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski held a press conference at Fenway Park to address the media.
“I want to start by thanking John Farrell for what he has done for the Boston Red Sox organization over the years,” Dombrowski said to open his remarks. “To me, I thought it was an appropriate time to make a change for the betterment of the organization moving forward. You weigh a lot of different things that come into play, you watch day in and day out over a season, and you come up with a decision based upon that.”
While he neglected to elaborate on the specifics of why Farrell was let go, Dombrowski said the move was “not a snap decision” in response to the team’s season-ending loss on Monday. For the second straight year, the Red Sox exited the postseason in the divisional round.
“I’m not going to get into particular situations that really made the final decision,” he said, despite continuously being probed to elaborate by reporters.
Dombrowski said he did not consult with the players regarding the decision and spoke with only the front office staff on Tuesday prior to calling team owner John Henry. He said Farrell was informed of the decision around 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning before the organization made the news public.
“You’re always thinking about how to get better in every facet,” he re-affirmed.
As for what he’s looking for in his next manager, Dombrowski mentioned a number of important attributes, including “job knowledge, running the game, running the pitching staff, [and] dealing with the media.”
“That role is a very important job,” he said. “It’s a very difficult job. There’s a lot of things that encompass that job.”
He also noted that one’s ability to handle the media carries greater weight in Boston compared to in Detroit, which is where he last hired a manager as an executive for the Tigers.
Previous managerial experience “helps” but is not a “100 percent necessity,” according to Dombrowski. He did, however, mention the helpfulness of having someone with experience “being in a dugout during a game.” Additionally, with Boston’s current roster, he said the ability to relate to a young core will be important, as many players are “still in their growth phrase.”
The 61-year-old says that Farrell’s successor will “most likely not” come from the current staff. Both Chili Davis, the team’s hitting coach, and Gary DiSarcina, the bench coach, are currently speculated to be potential replacements. Dombrowki’s current special assistant, Jason Varitek, is also potentially in the mix.
The Red Sox plan to grant coaches permission to interview with other clubs, and while Dombrowski said he would recommend all of the current staff to the incoming manager, he said that it will ultimately be up to the new skipper to assemble his staff.
