No days off.
Dave Dombrowski can identify with Bill Belichick's mantra from the Patriots' last Super Bowl celebration at City Hall Plaza, because now that the Red Sox's ninth World Series title is a full four days in the rear-view mirror, Dombrowski needs to focus on the offseason and the 2019 club.
World Series heroes Nathan Eovaldi and Steve Pearce are among the players eligible for free agency, a list that also includes Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Drew Pomeranz and Ian Kinsler. And while Dombrowski indicated there's no mandate from ownership to dip below the luxury tax threshhold next year, he recognizes it won't be easy to bring the band back together for another run at a title.
"Efforts will be made to keep as many players together as we can, ideally," Dombrowski said Thursday morning. "I also know baseball rules and finances make it difficult because sometimes when guys become free agents, they receive offers they can't refuse. But if you told me today we could bring the same club back together, we'd be thrilled with that. I don't think it's probably realistic, because you see what free agency brings, but I would think that we'll have a real core of our group of players together and we'll find out how many can actually stay."
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Should the team lose both Kimbrel and Kelly in free agency, Dombrowski said that the Sox might not need to go elsewhere to find a new closer, saying Matt Barnes or Ryan Brasier could be internal options to step up.
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"We'll see where it goes. Players have to make decisions obviously. That's what they work so hard for throughout their career, to get to free agency," said Alex Cora. "I do feel that we have a good team, very athletic, very versatile. Whatever the offseason takes us, we're going to be fine. We're going to be good."
One potential difference to the roster could come at the catcher. Carrying Sandy Leon, Christian Vazquez and Blake Swihart on the postseason roster gave the team extra flexibility at that position, but Dombrowski indicated that a move of some sort would likely happen, saying "We like all three of them, but I'd say it's unlikely but not impossible that you have three guys (in 2019)."
The team has already made one roster move, outrighting Carson Smith off the roster.
The relief pitcher was traded to Boston before the 2016 season and made a grand total of 29 appearances over three seasons. He'll be remembered for missing most of two seasons with Tommy John surgery, throwing his glove to the ground in anger after being pulled from a game in May, then taking a shot at Cora by saying his shoulder was fatigued because of overuse, and then undergoing yet another surgery.
Even though he was arbitration-eligible, reaching the end of the road with Smith is probably a good move for the Sox.
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