4 ways Craig Breslow can avoid repeating Chaim Bloom's Red Sox mistakes

Chaim Bloom lasted barely four years as the Boston Red Sox's chief of baseball operations. Bloom got canned, and so did his predecessor, Dave Dombrowski, who served his four-year sentence. There was a flag in the Dombrowski tenure and a series of disappointments in the Bloom tenure.

What is on display at the executive level is impatience, dissatisfaction for known reasons, dissatisfaction for unknown reasons, and pure speculation as the root causes for dismissal. The Boston senior management behaved similarly to George Steinbrenner when a revolving approach was used primarily with the field boss.

What is in store for Craig Breslow? Bloom was fired for not winning, and Dombrowski for winning. Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. Or, as Shakespeare would say, "Uneasy is the head that wears a crown." So, what can Breslow do to get his regime starting off on the right footing?

1. Don't be a Nervous Nellie

Long-time ABC announcer Keith Jackson used (or overused) the phrase "Whoa, Nellie!" as part of his announcing schtick. Former Secretary of State Frank Kellog often used "Nervous Nellie," and being nervous was the final blow that cost Bloom.

At the trading deadline, the Red Sox were still in the hunt for a playoff position and did nothing. Bloom made his reasoning, but the most noted reasoning was by reliever Kenley Jansen, who expressed feelings that likely represented the clubhouse view.

Breslow will have to make the decisions that Bloom should have addressed. If the team is on the hunt, provide the material for the roster to show the team, fans, and media you are serious.

Boldness has been demonstrated in the past, with 2004 being an example of a superstar being shipped elsewhere. Nomar Garciaparra was moved, giving up a penchant for offensive-oriented players for pieces that solidified the defense. Theo Epstein did not blink, Bloom did, and Breslow hopefully won't.

2. Be willing to trade prospects

Was Bloom a collector? Was Bloom a hoarder? Bloom supposedly improved the farm system since the party line was it was decimated by Dombrowski -- a point I do not subscribe to.

Boston had no trouble dealing high-profile prospects such as Hanley Ramírez, Yoán Moncada, Casey Fossum, Michael Kopech, and others in this century. Without such moves, World Series flags would not be flying.

Prospects are an unproven commodity, and no matter what the scouting reports may say or what fans wish, it is just hogwash until they do it at the MLB level. I recently wrote about a few on the fast track for Red Sox immortality. How did that work out?

Bloom was a collector reluctant to part with any in his collection. No doubt somewhere was the memories of Jeff Bagwell, but a CBO has to be risk-oriented and not risk-averse.

With the stash Bloom handed over to Breslow, especially on the position development aspect, I expect some packaging, especially making deals with teams willing to look long-term for controllable talent. Where the make or break will come for Breslow is the future if the prospect he deals ends up with a 15-year MLB career and Boston gets a contract albatross.

3. Don't forget about pitching

The Red Sox's development of quality pitching has been stagnant for 15+ years, with Brayan Bello possibly being the tiny break in that pattern. Boston has been forced to trade and buy the arms necessary to win, and they have been successful four times this century—time to make it five.

For the 2023 season, Boston checked in 10th in the American League in pitching, breaking it down to 12th in starting and 5th in relief. Chris Martin and Jansen are two bright-spot signings by Bloom. Bloom went cheap on starting pitching and the team no longer needs a staff of Corey Kluber's and Garett Richards.

The Phillies' recent signing of righty Ace Aaron Nola gives insight into the market. Nola received a 7-year deal for $172 M, and I would expect the same for Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has been connected to a legion of MLB teams. Yamamoto would be my primary target to focus on in the free agent market, but there are many more with varying degrees of ability.

Trades are also a possibility, and last season, we saw two high-profile free agents - Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer - move at the deadline. As winter rolls along, Breslow will be on the horn attempting to match up with another GM/CBO to satisfy mutual needs. Boston has prospects and money, and the first order of business is pitching.