Ben Cherington joined the Boston Red Sox in Oakland on Monday, usually a signal of internal strife or roster instability, but the general manager has downplayed his presence.

"You try to do it about once a month and I tend to take all the New York ones, because it feels like it's the right thing to do," Cherington explained. "Personally I think it's probably best the GM isn't there all the time."

Cherington acknowledged that people might assume his presence carries a purpose.

"I know a couple of people do [think that], but I never know why. It's just part of the schedule," he insisted. "If something is going I need to be there for I'll go, but 99 percent of the time it's just what is scheduled. As GM, I don't remember ever being with the team on the road where it just hasn'€™t been part of the schedule."