Comparing Chaim Bloom's best trade deadline to Craig Breslow's 2024 performance

Former Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is infamous for the quality of trade deadline performances from his years at the helm.

The Red Sox's 2021 trade deadline stands out above the rest during Bloom's tenure — probably because it was the only season the Sox made the playoffs since 2018. The front office brought in a few players who helped Boston make it all the way to the ALCS.

Bloom decided to bolster the Red Sox's strengths rather than assist their weaknesses before the 2021 trade deadline. The additions of Kyle Schwarber, Hansel Robles and Austin Davis gave some new life to the offense and bullpen, while the starting rotation went on untouched.

Schwarber was immediately embraced by Red Sox Nation, and for good reason. The slugger raked for the Sox — he posted a .291/.435/.522 slash line and a .957 OPS in Boston after he slashed .253/.340/.570 with the Nationals in the first half. Schwarber mashed seven homers in 41 regular season games for the Red Sox and added three in the playoffs. The Sox gave up minor league pitcher Aldo Ramirez in the deal, and it was worth it.

Davis came to Boston from Pittsburgh in exchange for Michael Chavis. He logged a 4.86 ERA in 16.2 innings. The Red Sox acquired Robles from the Twins in exchange for minor-league pitcher Alex Scherff, and he recorded a 3.60 ERA in 25 frames.

Davis only made one postseason appearance for the Sox in the ALDS while Robles was used more frequently. Robles posted a 3.24 ERA in six appearances between the Wild Card game, ALDS and ALCS.

Comparing Chaim Bloom's 2021 trade deadline to Craig Breslow's 2024 moves

The 2021 and 2024 Red Sox are similar — a group of players that boasted few household names overperformed to get as far as they did. The 2021 Sox were in a bit better shape from the get-go, though, because their starting rotation boasted Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodríguez and Martín Pérez.

Craig Breslow took the opposite approach to the trade deadline as Bloom in 2021. He didn't make any blockbuster trades to acquire any talent as big as Schwarber, but attempted to address as many of the team's needs as possible through small moves.

Danny Jansen doesn't move the needle in terms of impact offense, but the Sox added a righty bat that is a one-for-one improvement over Reese McGuire. The Red Sox struggle against lefty pitching, and McGuire was no exception with a .167 average against southpaws. Jansen offers a step up from that, as he batted .244 against lefties in Toronto.

James Paxton doesn't change much about Boston's starting rotation besides being a lefty. His stats don't jump off the page, but he balances the rotation and brings years of experience that Cooper Criswell and Josh Winckowski lack. The Sox sent the Dodgers a 19-year-old Single-A pitcher for him, which is a fine deal given the circumstances.

Luis García and Lucas Sims also bring experience to Boston's bullpen, but neither is left-handed, as the Sox wanted. The prices for top relievers were reportedly exorbitant, but Boston still ended up with a solid return compared to what it gave up.

Breslow potentially set his squad up for the future through the trade for former first-round draft pick Quinn Priester. He sold high on top Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke to get a young, controllable starter who's an ideal candidate for Andrew Bailey's coaching style.

It's hard to compare these deadline performances without knowing how far the 2024 Sox get in the playoffs, or if they make the postseason at all. While Bloom added an impact bat the city loved to watch, Breslow's moves secured returns for players who likely didn't have futures with the big-league squad, and they were productive, strategic and meaningful.

Breslow's moves are more impactful for the future of the Red Sox in a season that was never supposed to be "theirs." The 2024 Sox have overperformed to this point, and their acquisitions make sense for a rebuilding club in a seller's market. And honestly, it might be better than what Bloom was ever able to do when all is said and done.

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