NEW YORK -- The news Tuesday that David Dombrowski is out in Detroit -- released from his contract as president and general manager of the Detroit Tigers "to pursue other career opportunities" by owner Mike Ilitch -- dovetails with last weekend's announcement that Larry Lucchino will step down as president/CEO of the Boston Red Sox at the end of the year.

But the timing is coincidental. A Red Sox source said Tuesday afternoon that Dombrowski is not in the running for a position in Boston. To date, the Red Sox announced that they are promoting Sam Kennedy to the position of club president, but it remains undefined what role Kennedy, currently the team's financial operating officer, will assume on the baseball side.

Kennedy does not have a baseball background, but neither did Lucchino, an attorney who spent more than 36 years in the game. At present, Red Sox ownership is assessing how they intend to proceed, but for now, at least, general manager Ben Cherington and manager John Farrell retain the support of ownership, the source said.