Following the 2015 season, the Boston Red Sox were coming off a 78-84 season and back-to-back last-place finishes in the American League East.
The team had gone worst-to-first from 2012 to 2013, but immediately plummeted back to worst. In August of 2015, the Sox hired Dave Dombrowski to be the chief baseball officer, and he went running into the 2015 offseason.
They had a budding superstar in Mookie Betts on the roster, surrounded by a young core that included Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts. There was veteran leadership with David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia. Dombrowski came in and injected life into the franchise.