The Boston Red Sox have added Chaim Bloom to their list of dead money contracts, like the Rusney Castillo of GMs or whatever title they wish to emblazoned on the nameplate. Bloom leaves without securing a title, as had Ben Cherrington, Theo Epstein, and Dave Dombrowski.
For a bone of gratitude, Bloom managed to get the team under that luxury tax barrier, which is noted as a positive outcome in case principal owner John Henry wants another Nantucket homestead, an expansion on the Brookline hovel, a new yacht, or refurbishing the Global 500. Another sports team?
Bloom is being credited in some quarters for rebuilding the farm system, which is ranked 16th, and he may get his belated reward if those prospects amount to something beyond roster fodder. The current crop of promise is all from Dombrowski, that noted slayer of farm systems.
Boston should be in the position of the Dodgers or Braves, and they are not. Real or perceived failure has consequences, and Bloom is now gone either too early or too late. Bloom has discovered that Boston is not Tampa Bay. What next?
The Red Sox issues do not need an in-depth discussion at a baseball MENSA meeting since it revolves around that little bump in the middle of the diamond. To be blunt, they have crap coming out for a rotation and a bullpen.
The Red Sox rotation is Brayan Bello, and that's it, folks. Chris Sale is just IL fodder; the rest are as exciting as reading food labels. The way to get those arms is threefold: The first is to develop them, an arduous task that has failed through multiple administrations. If waiting for another Bello takes 15+ years, I do not have that life expectancy.
Two and three are where the quick fix occurs: Trade and free-agent signings. This will not be a rubber bat for a wooden arm but just the opposite. It must be done if it means "See Ya!" to a Triston Casas, Rafael Devers, Ceddanne Rafaela, or Roman Anthony—for a young arm with a future, not a Corey Kluber on the bargain shelf.
Free agent land is where money becomes the primary tool, and the Red Sox hot topic is regarding the latest Japanese phenom, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has been linked to the Red Sox. The rest of the free agent list for starters and relievers contains the usual collection, of which some will be costly. They will have to choose and choose wisely - never a promising option.
Chaim Bloom is gone but what about Alex Cora?
The new GM may not have an open checkbook despite the Red Sox's substantial income flow, but if there is any sports book action, I would go all in on the spending approach. Trades and spending worked in the past, so it will likely be revisited since the premier attraction of Fenway Sports Group is in dire need of relevance.
Alex Cora is a survivor as a manager. Cora was a Domrowski hiring, had a tainted past, won a title in Boston, and shut down late in the season. Bloom gave Cora rusty tools and needed more material to compete. Just the trading deadline foolishness by Boston may have convinced Cora his GM was over his head.
When an administration changes, they usually bring in "Their guys" in multiple positions within the corporate framework and the most visible in the manager. If Cora goes, he'll be unemployed for about one week.
The fans expect results and instant gratification since this is not a baseball backwater. The fans are used to bold moves, be they real or imagined, to improve the product, and Bloom lost the fans with each loss. Senior management read the pulse of RSN, and Bloom was done.