3 biggest mistakes that led to the Red Sox firing Chaim Bloom
Chaim Bloom did a lot of good with the Red Sox but there're some clear mistakes that led to his firing.
The Boston Red Sox made the surprising decision to fire Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom before he had the chance to wrap up his fourth season in Boston.
It's fair to have the viewpoint that Bloom got the short end of the stick here. He's done a terrific job rebuilding Boston's farm system, took them to the ALCS just two seasons ago, and he was able to keep Rafael Devers around for the long haul.
Bloom has done a lot of good, but the Red Sox are going to miss the postseason for the third time in his four seasons with the club and for a team in this market that's simply not good enough. There's more to this firing than just their subpar record, however. Bloom has made some critical mistakes that wound up leading to his firing.
1) The Red Sox are still suffering from the atrocious Mookie Betts trade
Yes, it's been four years, but the Red Sox are still suffering from what's wound up to be a disastrous Mookie Betts trade. It's not all Bloom's fault that Boston wound up trading him, but Bloom absolutely had to get a better return than they got.
Alex Verdugo is a solid player. He was really good in the short season and has been a tick above average as a hitter in the three years since. He has a terrific arm, doesn't strike out, and is fun to watch. The problem is, he's the best part of the Betts return by far, can be gone in a year, and has a .771 OPS with Boston. That's not good enough.
The prized prospect from the trade, Jeter Downs, wound up playing 14 games for Boston before being DFA'd and latching on with Washington. Connor Wong has been a fine backup catcher and has had a really nice 2023 season, but you don't trade an MVP for a backup catcher.
The Red Sox trading Mookie Betts isn't on Bloom. Ownership played a huge role, and you can't fault him for that. What Bloom is to blame for is the return. That return had to be what led Boston back to glory and it simply hasn't come close to reaching expectations. They traded an MVP for a decent outfielder and a backup catcher. It felt like Bloom was doomed from the start getting that kind of return for Mookie.
2) The Red Sox chose to stand pat at this year's trade deadline and that left them directionless
The Red Sox were one of the surprise teams of the American League this season. They were 56-50 at the deadline, and just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. With that in mind, the Red Sox had a chance to either go all in for their unlikely playoff berth, or assume the odds were stacked against them like Bloom said they were and trade some of their assets for pieces to help them win in the future.
Instead of picking one or the other, Bloom decided to stand pat. Bloom himself gave Boston the label of "underdogs" which alienated one of the most passionate fan bases in all of baseball, and that in itself told the team that he thought they weren't good enough and weren't worth trading prospects to improve.
The Red Sox were coming off a really strong month of July which saw them win 15 of their 23 games, and propel themselves right into the thick of the playoff picture. The Red Sox, a team with seemingly unlimited resources, had a chance to make a big move, acquire the ace this team had been missing, and make a push for the playoffs. They failed to do so. And guess what, if Bloom thought they weren't good enough, he could've traded away players on expiring deals to continue improving what's become a really good farm system. That didn't happen either.
Bloom did nothing other than acquire Luis Urias and the team has gone under .500 since the deadline. Boston had a 24.6% chance to make the playoffs per FanGraphs on July 31 and that's down to 0.3% on September 14. They're still well-equipped to potentially win in the future with a great farm, but Bloom could've either improved the farm even more to help them win sooner, or trade away a prospect or two to help them win right now. Doing nothing was never an option, and that's what he went with.
3) The Red Sox spent the money ownership allowed them to poorly
Part of the goal of the Chaim Bloom regime was to build a competitive team and restock the farm while remaining under the luxury tax. Bloom has done that pretty well, having a team that's remained under the luxury tax and in postseason contention for much of the year. They've been under the tax three times in his four years. The problem is, Boston making the playoffs once is simply not good enough for a fan base that expects to win consistently. Had Bloom done a better job with the resources he was given, maybe we wouldn't have this conversation.
The Trevor Story contract didn't make the most sense at the time if Boston wanted to keep Xander Bogaerts around long-term, and has aged extremely poorly. He's missed substantial time due to injuries, and when he has played, he hasn't been good. That $140 million could've gone to several other players.
Even a deal like the one Boston gave Corey Kluber this past offseason has aged horrifically. Kluber has been a non-factor for the Red Sox this season, and is making $10 million. The Red Sox have been needing starting pitching but instead relied on aging veterans with extreme durability concerns like Kluber, James Paxton, and Chris Sale. Look at what that's gotten them.
Bloom hasn't been given the same resources guys like Dave Dombrowski had when he ran the ship, but the money he has had he hasn't spent wisely. Had Bloom spent money better, Boston might not be in a battle for last and instead been pushing for a playoff spot.
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