Dombro: No trade restrictions
But moves at deadline must be responsible
Read between the lines and it sounds like Red Sox boss Dave Dombrowski isn’t eager to make any big additions before the trade deadline.
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Speaking on WEEI before the Sox’ 19-3 blowout of the Yankees last night, the president of baseball operations said there are no payroll restrictions from the owners, but the emphasis is still on getting the current players to perform better.
“There is no reason anybody has said, ‘You can’t do it,’ but you also have to have a real significant reason you are going to go above that ($246 million mark),” Dombrowski said. “We have a lot of good players that I think we need to show that we can run with the guys that we have. But if there is a right piece out there we think can make a difference, nobody has said you can’t do it.”
The Red Sox went above the highest tier of the luxury tax threshold last year and paid the price, not only in dollars but in draft capital. Dombrowski has been adamant that dropping 10 spots on the team’s first pick in the draft is a “big penalty” for over-spending. The Sox are currently under the highest level of the tax.
Instead, Dombrowski sees the acquisition of fifth starter Andrew Cashner from the Orioles and Nathan Eovaldi’s return from the injured list as two key additions for the Red Sox, who have been spinning their wheels all season and remain on the outside of the playoff picture.
Adding Cashner was “more a necessity,” Dombrowski said, “I know people say, ‘Well he hasn’t really pitched very well,’ ... but that first (post) All-Star Game outing by about everybody concerns me because it’s not their normal rest period. The second one, he really didn’t pitch poorly in Baltimore . ... We talked about is needing to get six innings out of that fifth starter’s spot, which we haven’t been getting all season long, so he really accomplished that.”
With the Sox so far away from the Yankees in the American League East, entering the series 11 games back, the team is destined for a one-game playoff in the wild card game. And Dombrowski doesn’t seem convinced it’s worth gutting the farm system to upgrade a team for one game.
“I think we’re still in a position to sit back and see how things go,” Dombrowski said. “With Eovaldi coming back, that helps us. I know he didn’t have a good outing the other day, but we feel very comfortable with him out there.”
Dombrowski stressed the Red Sox preferred Eovaldi to come back as a starter, but they didn’t feel they had the luxury of waiting for him to get stretched out again.
He sees a bullpen of Eovaldi, Brandon Workman and Matt Barnes as good enough to compete.
“I’m not sure how much we would buy in at that point,” Dombrowski said.
Peace in Puerto Rico
Alex Cora was wearing a Puerto Rico shirt to celebrate the resignation of governor Ricardo A. Rosselló, who had caused most of the island to revolt against him after the publication of some disturbing messages, the cherry on top after years of false promises.
“What a night,” Cora said. “What a night last night. Very anxious at 5:00 when I got on the plane and just listened to everything that was going on. Just waiting for our ex-governor to say the words. Just to be around family at 11:30, just watching TV and the message, it was cool, to be honest with you.
“I think the cool thing was that there was no blood. No blood in all these protests. It was very peaceful. And I think Riccardo made the right decision. Now we have to work.”
Eovaldi works
The Red Sox had used Eovaldi just once since his return on Saturday, but Cora put him in for the ninth last night. He allowed no runs and one hit and struck out one, touching 100 mph. …
Michael Chavis was out of the lineup again and it looks like it’ll be a platoon with him and Brock Holt at second base going forward. Cora said Chavis will play the next two days against a pair of lefties.
Cora hasn’t dropped the protest yet from Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Rays, but admitted he has very little chance of winning. “I think it’s going nowhere,” he said.
Tulowitzki retires
Troy Tulowitzki, a five-time All-Star with the Colorado Rockies who has missed most of the past two seasons with leg injuries, announced his retirement, more than three months after he played in his last game for the Yankees . ...
The Yankees put outfielder Brett Gardner on the 10day injured list with left knee inflammation.