Dave Dombrowski, president of the Boston Red Sox, is trying to build a contender for 2016. That fact became abundantly clear Friday when he sent four prospects to San Diego for closer Craig Kimbrel.

Kimbrel immediately helps a team with one of the worst bullpens in baseball. There’s no question the Sox are a significantly better team today than they were a week ago. Which makes the considerable backlash to the trade surprising.

Many people think the Sox gave up too much for Kimbrel. Outfield prospect Manuel Margot and shortstop prospect Javier Guerra were the two biggest names in the deal, joining Carlos Asuaje and Logan Allen in the package going to the Padres.

It was a lot to give up. Dombrowski knew it when he made the deal. And he doesn’t regret it one bit.

“We didn’t give anything up at the major league level to affect our club this year,” Dombrowski told reporters. “It’s good talent, but some of it’s a while away.”

Is Dombrowski mortgaging the future to land Kimbrel? He doesn’t think so. He believes he is using a surplus of minor-league assets to make the big-league Sox more competitive now.

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It’s hard to believe this type of trade ever would’ve been made under Ben Cherington, or Theo Epstein for that matter.

The Sox have boasted one of the top farm systems over the last few years. They’ve also finished dead last in the AL East in three of the last four seasons.

This trade might make the Portland Sea Dogs or Lowell Spinners less fun to watch in 2016, but the goal of a farm system is to make the major league club competitive. Sometimes that happens when players graduate to the top. Other times it happens when players are dealt for established stars.

Kimbrel is one of the best closers in the game. He has 225 career saves and throws in the mid-90s. He has only blown four saves in each of the past three seasons, and has held American League batters to a .143 batting average in his career.

He has swing-and-miss stuff, which is something the bullpen was sorely lacking in 2015.

The bullpen still needs help, but Dombrowski knows you build a bullpen from the ninth inning and work back. Kimbrel is under Boston’s control for the next three seasons, so ninth-inning duties won’t be a concern for a long time to come.

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Now Dombrowski needs to address the other main concern. He needs a top-of-the-rotation starter. While he cleared out the cupboard a bit in this trade he still has prospects to deal. And money to spend in free agency.

“My thought process is most likely any acquisition we’d make in starting pitching would first happen as far as the free-agent field is concerned,” said Dombrowski. “You never know, but that would be my guess.”

He may have to overspend to get it. Just like he probably overpaid to get Kimbrel.

That’s the price you pay when you try to make a last-place club a playoff contender.

Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.


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