Red Sox: Chaim Bloom has a vision and we all just need to believe

Chaim Bloom has the Red Sox in the ALCS ahead of schedule

Back in March, nobody would’ve believed that the Red Sox would be in the playoffs, let alone back in the ALCS. The pundits and bettors all thought that this squad would be better than 2020 but not much better than a fourth-place finish in their AL East. Chaim Bloom was brought into the organization ahead of the 2020 season to repair the financial issues the club faced while also building toward a future of success, and it looks like that future may be here already.

We all know Chaim’s history in the baseball world so I won’t bore you with his resume for the thousandth time. We also knew that he would come in here and be the antithesis of his predecessor, Dave Dombrowski. So far, that has been the truth with small short-term deals being what comes out of the Red Sox front office since his arrival. But that was the plan since day one, and it’s being executed perfectly.

I’m sure most of you have seen the film ‘Moneyball,’ or at least know the story behind it, well, the 2021 Red Sox are going down that path. Obviously, FSG has more money than they know what to do with so we won’t be turning into the Athletics anytime soon but long gone maybe the days of bloated contracts that will sink the team. Though I wouldn’t mind a couple of nice fat deals to Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, just sayin’.

Still, Chaim searches the free-agent market, he dives deep into the waters that are the waiver pool, and he makes trades that make sense for the now and the latter. This is why the Red Sox are back in the ALCS and it will be the secret to their success going forward, we just have to trust in Chaim, he’s more than deserved it.

Some will still cry foul due to trading away Mookie Betts, and I understand that, but based on the offers that FSG were sending to Mookie, he was never going to sign here. Not saying he didn’t enjoy his time or this team, but it’s easy to see how fast he re-upped with Los Angeles that he was insulted by what was offered here.

Betts has always looked at this as a business, as many should, and it’s why his family will be set for generations to come, that’s not on Bloom, don’t blame him.

Though if we do want to look at that trade in a positive light, I’d like to believe that Alex Verdugo is working out pretty damn well, and Connor Wong has shown great promise. Yeah, Jeter Downs may not be the shining star we thought right away, but he’s still young and his promise could always fetch another return down the road. We all know that Chaim was more than likely directed to move Mookie and get the best return that he could, and he honestly probably did just that.

That’s enough on the past, let’s look at the now, this team has Chaim’s fingerprints all over it. Who was the star of the ALDS? Kiké Hernández, a Chaim Bloom guy. Who has been one of Boston’s best hitters since the Trade Deadline? Kyle Schwarber, a Chaim Bloom guy. Who have been some of the best relievers the Red Sox have trotted out in the second half? Garrett Whitlock, Hansel Robles, and Austin Davis. All are Chaim Bloom guys.

Nick Pivetta! A guy who has had success as a starter and has become a godsend in the bullpen, is also, a Chaim Bloom guy. The list doesn’t stop with those guys as I think we all talk about Hunter Renfroe, the good and the bad, at least once every night. He’s also a Chaim Bloom guy, a couple of times over by this point in his career.

I could continue to go up and down the roster to point out the guys that he has brought in that have been big players for this Red Sox team in 2021 but I don’t want to take up your entire day. The moral of the story is that he had a vision, FSG, and Alex Cora put all of their faith in his plan, and it’s paying off.

It’s still clear that the Red Sox are in a transitional phase and are rebuilding toward the future, but this team never gave up on themselves. Some out there would have you believe that their second-half struggles were because Bloom was relatively quiet at the deadline and they thought he didn’t believe in them. These are grown adults who are here to do a job, rough patches happen in a 162-game season, it was nothing more than that.

He believed in them, that’s why he was so selective at the deadline, he knew what he had in that clubhouse. Now that belief has completely enveloped the city of Boston and there is a buzz in the air surrounding the Red Sox that hasn’t been there since 2018.

John Henry himself said that the team was ähead of where they believed they would be at this point in the process, and that all comes down to how Bloom has played his cards.

"“We sort of felt all year we were ahead of schedule,” Henry said. “We knew we had some flaws, but these guys just kept picking each other up. Wherever we might have had flaws, others made up for it. It was really remarkable.”"

I won’t sit here and blow smoke and lie to you and say that this team is winning the World Series, I’d like to, but that wouldn’t be fair to them. Granted, I thought that the Yankees could send us home and that the Rays surely would, so why should I fear the Astros?

Houston has had Boston’s number this year as the Red Sox have a 2-5 record against the Astros with a -17 run differential. This group of guys feels different though, they know they’re good but they don’t rely on it, they fight each and every night, a lot like our 2013 squad.

You know the 2013 squad, the group that should’ve gotten steamrolled by the Tigers in the ALCS just to have the Red Sox defeat Detroit and then go on to raise another World Series banner.

Both of these teams have that magic about them, unlike the 2007 and 2018 teams where money was spent to build a winner, this is different. This is a group with a chip on their shoulders to prove everyone wrong and they’re doing a damn good job at achieving that goal.

The team that Chaim Bloom has put together is more than perfect for this city and fanbase. It’s a bunch of guys that love to play ball, love to have fun, and are likable. That list thing may not be important to some but it’s a lot easier to root for a team when they’re not all a bunch of unlikable dinks.

That’s not the case here, it doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup you want to see them do well and perform. Chaim has not only built a team that’s ready to win but he’s also built a team that has character both on and off the field with a culture to breed success with good people. Henry was right, this team is ahead of schedule, but it’s due to the work that Chaim has done and the belief of this organization that his plan is one that will succeed.