Cherington calls Red Sox exit a 'clean break'

After declining to remain as general manager of the Boston Red Sox following the hiring of Dave Dombrowski as team president, Ben Cherington spoke with the media about the move on Wednesday, beginning with a thank you to the team he had worked for since 1999.

"I have extreme gratitude to ownership for letting me do this four years ago ... I will always be grateful for that opportunity," he said. "I felt strongly that what was best for me, for Dave, and the Red Sox was a clean break. Ultimately, I made that decision."

After succeeding Theo Epstein as GM, Cherington rebuilt the team after a disastrous 2012 season. He hired manager John Farrell and signed a number of free agents and it led to a 28-game improvement in the standings, an American League East Division title, and eventually the franchise's eighth World Series title.

Cherington said he hadn't heard about the team's interest in the ex-Tigers boss until Saturday and after discussions with team owners, he admitted he couldn't be "all in" if he stayed on with the team. Despite this, he had nothing but kind words for Dombrowski.

"I have great respect for Dave Dombrowski," the 41-year-old said. "He'll be an asset and I wish him and the Red Sox nothing but the best moving forward."

Cherington leaves Dombrowski with a wealth of young talent including Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Travis Shaw, and the new Red Sox president did not hold back his appreciation of his efforts.

"The Red Sox baseball operations group and Ben Cherington deserve extraordinary credit for the young, talented players that have broken through at the major league level," Dombrowski said during his introductory press conference. "I see outstanding potential in the talent still developing our minor leagues."