Chaim Bloom’s tenure as the chief baseball officer for the Boston Red Sox has come to an end, and it appears that his downfall may have been a result of the moves he didn’t make rather than the ones he did. One particularly glaring example of this, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI, is the missed opportunity to trade oft-injured ace Chris Sale at the 2022 MLB trade deadline.
Bradford reports that Bloom and the Red Sox front office had the chance to send Sale to a team willing to take on the remaining money on his contract. However, the team wanted better players in return than were offered, and the deal ultimately fell through. Just weeks later, Sale broke his wrist in a bicycle accident, sidelining him for the remainder of the 2022 season.
In 2023, Sale has had a lackluster performance, with a 4.88 ERA and 1.20 WHIP through 17 starts. He also missed time due to shoulder inflammation. Holding onto Sale and his expensive contract, which was signed by former Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski in 2019, proved to be a major misstep as injuries have plagued Sale since then.
Another point of contention surrounding Bloom’s tenure was his inactivity at the 2023 trade deadline. Sources suggest that potential trades involving Alex Verdugo going to the Houston Astros or New York Yankees were discussed but never completed. The asking price for James Paxton was also deemed too high, and the Red Sox failed to secure any pitching help. This lack of action left the team in a tough spot, which was evident when they were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays in an important early-August showdown.
Bloom’s hesitance to make blockbuster trades appears to have played a significant role in the ownership’s decision to part ways with him. Although he made some solid moves during his four seasons with the Red Sox, his reluctance to pull the trigger on major deals ultimately hindered the team’s ability to compete. Now, it is up to team owner John Henry to select a new candidate who can rebuild the Red Sox into a perennial postseason contender.