Perhaps through no intention of his own, Dombrowski could be the stand in for the old argument. Would you rather aim for consistent success or to win championships. Marlins or Braves?
Whether it was his choice or the dictates of his ownership groups, his end strategy tended towards the latter. Though he certainly helped build good teams in Montreal, Florida (x2), and Detroit before Boston.
It's perhaps no surprise that he was the employer of Frank Wren, who himself is a lightning rod (though his defenders insist that Wren was a man without agency in his decision making).
I think Dombrowski has had a successful career by any measure.
I think there is an argument that attempts to build for the very long haul, particularly outside of the big markets, is probably a fool's errand. The natural course of baseball is to ebb and flow in relatively short cycles. The Braves are the anomaly that probably won't be repeated often. The Marlins are a reachable goal if you do it well.
I don't think anyone would seriously suggest the Red Sox are down for long, if their current season even qualifies.