With the Boston Red Sox plodding towards their second consecutive finish in the cellar of the American League East, critics and fans alike could conclude that a change in the power structure of the franchise was needed.

The product on the field simply was not making ends meet, and, although you can argue that the likes of owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, and COO Sam Kennedy could have handled the situation a bit more professionally, the consensus was clear: it was time for an alteration as to who would oversee the 'product'.

On Tuesday night, the Red Sox issued a statement announcing that former Detroit Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski, relieved of his duties in Motown earlier this month, would become the president of baseball operations effective immediately.

Consequentially, due to the contrasting views split between him and Dombrowski, general manager Ben Cherington was announced to have made the decision to step down from his post. The Red Sox brass offered Cherington the opportunity to remain on board at the same position, however, the fact that each and every decision would be finalized by Dombrowski motivated the 41-year-old to make the choice to seek out other job openings around the league this coming offseason.

While Cherington's tenure with Boston was predicated on transactions influenced greatly by statistical analysis, differing from Dombrowski's methods of player evaluation. Despite the fact that statistical analysis does carry weight in his evaluation of talent, traditional methods of evaluating the player based on their performances and talent showcased on the field comes to the forefront.

With a history of dealing prospects for more established veterans, expect Dombrowski to toy with the Red Sox farm system, lauded as one of the finest in the league. The former Montreal Expos, then-Florida Marlins, and Tigers decision-maker has earned the reputation of building a successful product on the field through trades and free agent signings, and the wealth of talent which exists in Boston's minor leagues will allow him to follow the same practices in Beantown.

For example, Dombrowski did not balk when the offer arose to nab future Hall-of-Fame infielder Miguel Cabrera from Florida while with Detroit in December of 2007, a deal which certainly paid tremendous dividends for the Tigers. Dombrowski also accomplished a similar feat in December of 2009, acquiring future ace Max Scherzer and outfielder Austin Jackson in a three-team deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees, a crucial trade in the building of a team which won the American League pennant in 2012.

With the likes of blue-chip prospects such as outfielder Manuel Margot, outfielder Anthony Benintendi, and shortstop Deven Marrero existing deep in the Red Sox minor league system, expect Dombrowski to survey the market this coming offseason for budding superstars who have not yet hit their prime.

Another key focus of Dombrowski will be avoiding exorbitant commitments to aging free agents while extending offers to players in free agency. Cherington's acquisitions of third baseman Pablo Sandoval (age 29) and left fielder Hanley Ramirez (age 31) for five-years and $95 million apiece haven't exactly earned the respect of Red Sox Nation, with horrific defensive displays, injury troubles, and dragged-out slumps at the plate drawing the ire of fans.

Making the current situation even more troubling is that Cherington passed up on the chance to add third baseman Josh Donaldson for $4.3 million in 2015 rather than acquiring Sandoval. An All-Star this season, Donaldson has smacked 33 home runs to date and has catapulted the Toronto Blue Jays into contention for their first postseason berth since 1993.

Cherington also misplayed the pitching market in his recent tenure in Boston, failing to offer former ace Jon Lester a respectable offer in free agency last winter. Instead, he landed innings-laden Rick Porcello from Dombrowski's Tigers for four-years and $82 million. So far in 2015, Porcello has gone 5-11 with an atrocious 5.81 ERA.

Lester, on the other hand, is supporting an 8-9 record with a 3.58 ERA, leading the Chicago Cubs in their quest for playoff contention.

Evidenced by his signing of 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to a seven-year, $180 million deal prior to the 2013 season, we have reason to believe that Dombrowski, had he been with the Red Sox, would have locked up Lester this past offseason. Signing the likes of Lester contrasts from reaching for an aging star like Ramirez, for Lester had already displayed his comfort and ability to perform at an exceptional level under the scrutiny of the Boston media and fan base while still showcasing the talent he had left in the tank with steady statistical outputs over the past few seasons.

While Cherington played an instrumental role in crafting the bearded band of the brothers which carried the grieving city of Boston on their backs towards a World Series championship in 2013, it was time for a change in Beantown, and the Red Sox executive brass spared no time in locking up one of the game's top baseball minds to improve their outlook moving on to future seasons.