BOSTON -- Across the 11-plus seasons in which Theo Epstein and protégé Ben Cherington served as general managers in Boston, the Red Sox were consistently viewed as one of the most forward-thinking clubs in the Majors when it came to incorporating data analytics.
In hiring Dave Dombrowski as their president of baseball operations, coupled with Cherington's decision to step aside as GM, the Red Sox have created the impression that their front office is transitioning toward a more traditional, scouting-oriented style of player evaluation. But Dombrowski downplayed this notion on Wednesday during his introductory news conference at Fenway Park, instead defining his own approach as a mix of both ends of the team-building spectrum -- one that he hopes will bring another World Series trophy to Boston.