Phillies’ Dave Dombrowski feels he wasn’t ‘treated right’ in Red Sox firing

Dave Dombrowski does not feel he got the best shake with the Red Sox.

Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations for the Philadelphia Phillies, has had a renaissance of sorts given the team’s World Series berth. In 2019, he was fired from the same role with the Red Sox.

“I don’t think I was treated right,’’ Dombrowski told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “It hurt. It didn’t end the way I hoped or was handled.’’ 

With the benefit of hindsight, Dombrowski’s biggest error with the Red Sox was signing Chris Sale to a five-year, $145 million contract extension in 2019. Sale has barely pitched since.

That contract, plus Nathan Eovaldi’s four-year, $68 million deal, contributed to putting the Red Sox in a position where retaining Mookie Betts would’ve pushed them over the luxury tax.

The Red Sox’s trade of Betts to the Dodgers in 2020, which happened after Dombrowski was fired, is still reviled by the Boston fan base.

“Right after the World Series, I think it became clear to me that perhaps we weren’t going to be on the same wavelength going forward,” Red Sox owner John Henry said after dismissing the executive. “But I was hopeful throughout the year, that maybe that perception would change. It didn’t.’’ 

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure; Phillies owner John Middleton is elated with the fact Dombrowski became available.

“I still don’t have any idea why John Henry fired him,’’ Middleton told Nightengale. “I really don’t understand it. But I’m grateful he did. We wouldn’t have Dave Dombrowski and we wouldn’t be in the World Series.’’