Trade Deadline 2023

[mvp 78]

Future Hall of Famers going in trades at the deadline, but we got a minor leaguer who flunked out of the big leagues.

 

I like the trade they did make. However, it shows that they weren't ready for a playoff push this year. If that's truly the case, they need to be a little honest with the fanbase rather than string them along with the "it's gonna be awesome" stuff.

[mvp 78]

Chaim Bloom is the CBO of the Boston Red Sox. His title is not farm director. Bloom's main task is the big league team, the one fans follow in Boston, and on TV, and on radio.

Chief Baseball Officer

 

His main task is running the whole organization by managing the GM and other people in upper level management, not running the MLB team.

[Dipre]

Chief Baseball Officer

 

His main task is running the whole organization by managing the GM and other people in upper level management, not running the MLB team.

 

You know what you're talking about friend.

[mvp 78]

Well, and this is just my own opinion, there’s a difference between a “good trade” “bar trade” and “great trade” and saying the trade worked out or not.

 

Guys can get hurt and reduce their value, doesn’t mean at the time it wasn’t a great trade anymore retroactively. Perhaps great is an exaggeration, still I’d rather not debate the semantics, you’re probably right. It was a good trade.

 

They traded a guy that could have been taken in Rule 5 next year (and someone nobody on here really talks about) for a guy who put up 2 fWAR seasons the previous 2 years. It's a fine trade.

[Bellhorn04]

I like the trade they did make. However, it shows that they weren't ready for a playoff push this year. If that's truly the case, they need to be a little honest with the fanbase rather than string them along with the "it's gonna be awesome" stuff.

 

But see, Chaim never said exactly when it's gonna be awesome. That's the beauty of it.

[notin]

But see, Chaim never said exactly when it's gonna be awesome. That's the beauty of it.

 

I think he talks far more than other front office personnel, and he really shouldn’t. Reality often gets in the way of his fanciful promises…

[notin]

They traded a guy that could have been taken in Rule 5 next year (and someone nobody on here really talks about) for a guy who put up 2 fWAR seasons the previous 2 years. It's a fine trade.

 

Maybe it’s a good trade.

 

Urias has been optioned to Worcester. He might not see Boston this year, and is a potential non-tender candidate this offseason…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Chief Baseball Officer

 

His main task is running the whole organization by managing the GM and other people in upper level management, not running the MLB team.

 

Thanks for the correction. There must be plenty of other GMs -- or whatever title teams give their guy in charge -- that are hired to run big league organizations, whose main task is not building the MLB club, but instead rebuilding the farm.

[Bellhorn04]

Chief Baseball Officer

 

His main task is running the whole organization by managing the GM and other people in upper level management, not running the MLB team.

 

Sounds like bafflegab to me. Is constructing the MLB team's roster a huge part of Chaim's job or not?

[a700hitter]

I know, I know. It's just crushing. How will life go on for Sox fans?

 

Well, consider--

 

1. Story is due back this weekend, which means three good infield bats--Devers, Story, and Casas--every day. And a 4th, Turner at 2b, when Cora thinks he needs him there so Casas can play 1b and Yoshida can DH. And some combo of Reyes/Chang/Arroyo to help with the defense.

 

2. Four good bats--Yoshida, Duran, Duvall, and Dugo--in the outfield plus Refsnyder, who is really good vs lefties. Yoshida and Turner share the DH slot, depending on how Cora shapes his day to day lineups. Also, Duran has stolen 23 bases, been caught twice, and forced a bunch of errors that led to additional bases not counted as stolen.

 

3. Two good catchers, Wong and McGuire (who bats lefty and hit that dinger last night in his first game back).

 

4. When Sale returns, which could happen as soon as the Detroit series, August 11-13, a pretty good rotation--Paxton, Bello, Sale, Pivetta, and Crawford. If you go by quality starts, they are the best Sox rotation since 2018--barring further injuries, of course (a pretty big if).

 

5. When Houck and Whitlock return 10-15 days after Sale and presumably go to the bullpen, a pretty good bullpen: Jansen, Whitlock, Houck, Martin, Bernardino, Schreiber, Winckowski, and TBD.

 

6. Of the above, Devers, Story, Casas, Duran, Yoshida, Wong, McGuire, Dugo, Bello, Crawford, Pivetta, Shreiber, Whitlock, Winckowski, and Houck are all age 30 or younger.

 

So, yeah, it looks really, really grim for the future and Chaim Bloom is a nut case and should never have been hired.

And if they finish last for the 3rd time in his 4 years, you will still be hailing him as a success. All those teams ahead of us should only be so fortunate to have such talent at the helm.

[Duran Is The Man]

But see, Chaim never said exactly when it's gonna be awesome. That's the beauty of it.

 

it's going to be in '24 or '25. or '29 or '30. sometime. maybe. in the next twenty years, for sure. i'm sure that Bloom's apologists will enlighten us.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

it's going to be in '24 or '25. or '29 or '30. sometime. maybe. in the next twenty years, for sure. i'm sure that Bloom's apologists will enlighten us.

 

Ah, go eat dinner at a steakhouse. Remember, though, it doesn't really matter how the steak tastes, as long as you know their beef cattle come from a top-rated ranch and are fed only the best alfalfa-grass hay mix.

[Maxbialystock]

And if they finish last for the 3rd time in his 4 years, you will still be hailing him as a success. All those teams ahead of us should only be so fortunate to have such talent at the helm.

 

A fair point.

 

My rebuttal begins by characterizing 2020 as a covid nonseason when Cora was also banned. It simply shouldn't count.

 

So that gets us to 3 seasons, the first of which, 2021, was better than any of DD's seasons except 2018 because in 2021 the Sox made it to the ALCS.

 

Let's also not forget that throughout his reign DD had more talent and a lot more money to spend. Since Chaim Bloom took the reins, John Henry has insisted on both a reduced budget and the avoidance of big contracts for starters, which were the hallmark off DD's tenure.

 

2022, agreed, was sorry, but let's not forget than last year the AL East was, like this year, a juggernaut, and last year the Sox played each of the other four AL East teams 19 times (76 games, almost half the season).

 

As for the this year, I'm fine with standing on whatever happens even though this year's Sox salaries are 15th in MLB, the lowest ranking in the John Henry era and probably the lowest ranking in the last 40 years.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

 

Let's also not forget that throughout his reign DD had more talent and a lot more money to spend. Since Chaim Bloom took the reins, John Henry has insisted on both a reduced budget and the avoidance of big contracts for starters, which were the hallmark off DD's tenure.

 

 

It certainly looks that way, but unless anyone here has had a personal talk with Henry, we don't know for sure what he's insisting, since he's become the Howard Hughes of MLB owners.

 

As for DD, it's a good thing he was allowed to invest in the Red Sox. Where would Bloom's '23 underdogs be without DD's core of Bello, Duran and Casas (team-high WAR on the mound, AL doubles machine/pizza box thief, and July MLB OPS leader)...

[mvp 78]

I think he talks far more than other front office personnel, and he really shouldn’t. Reality often gets in the way of his fanciful promises…

 

He also doesn't really have a way with words.

[mvp 78]

Maybe it’s a good trade.

 

Urias has been optioned to Worcester. He might not see Boston this year, and is a potential non-tender candidate this offseason…

 

We talk about non-tenders every offseason but nobody ever gets nontendered.

[mvp 78]

Thanks for the correction. There must be plenty of other GMs -- or whatever title teams give their guy in charge -- that are hired to run big league organizations, whose main task is not building the MLB club, but instead rebuilding the farm.

 

The Red Sox do have a GM. You should complain about him.

[mvp 78]

Sounds like bafflegab to me. Is constructing the MLB team's roster a huge part of Chaim's job or not?

 

No!

[Bellhorn04]

No!

 

Link please.

[mvp 78]

And if they finish last for the 3rd time in his 4 years, you will still be hailing him as a success. All those teams ahead of us should only be so fortunate to have such talent at the helm.

 

If they finish above .500, does the last place finish matter? They could win 85 games and be in last place with how the schedule is now.

[Old Red]

Chief Baseball Officer

 

His main task is running the whole organization by managing the GM and other people in upper level management, not running the MLB team.

 

Yes his main task is running the whole organization, but what is most important in that whole organization is what the big league club does in the standings. If it’s not then fans shouldn’t have to pay top ticket prices to go, and see them. I’ll repeat what Cora said again it doesn’t matter how many prospects you have, or what the farm rankings is, but what the Red Sox do, or don’t do in October. I’m pretty sure the players feel the same way. Your PR for Bloom is as bad as the Red Sox PR is overall.

[mvp 78]

Link please.

 

Here you go!

[Old Red]

no!

 

yes!

[mvp 78]

Yes his main task is running the whole organization, but what is most important in that whole organization is what the big league club does in the standings. If it’s not then fans shouldn’t have to pay top ticket prices to go, and see them. I’ll repeat what Cora said again it doesn’t matter how many prospects you have, or what the farm rankings is, but what the Red Sox do, or don’t do in October. I’m pretty sure the players feel the same way. Your PR for Bloom is as bad as the Red Sox PR is overall.

 

I'm not doing PR for Bloom. I don't care about Bloom. I've always said that he could be fired today and it wouldn't impact me at all. I grade him like a C/C+ overall and it's pulled down because of the MLB team. If you disagree with my assessment of how the organization is run it's fine. You'd be wrong, but it's fine.

Edited August 2, 2023 by mvp 78

[Old Red]

I'm not doing PR for Bloom. I don't care about Bloom. I've always said that he could be fired today and it would impact me at all. I grade him like a C/C+ overall and it's pulled down because of the MLB team. If you disagree with my assessment of how the organization is run it's fine. You'd be wrong, but it's fine.

 

If you don’t agree that his main job in running the whole organization is the record of the big league club then you could be wrong, and that is not fine.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm not doing PR for Bloom. I don't care about Bloom. I've always said that he could be fired today and it would impact me at all. I grade him like a C/C+ overall and it's pulled down because of the MLB team. If you disagree with my assessment of how the organization is run it's fine. You'd be wrong, but it's fine.

 

You said Bloom's "main task is running the whole organization by managing the GM and other people in upper level management".

 

What the hell does that even mean? It sounds like something from a business administration course.

[Old Red]

The Red Sox do have a GM. You should complain about him.

 

Does he make the decisions, or does Bloom?

[Old Red]

You said Bloom's "main task is running the whole organization by managing the GM and other people in upper level management".

 

What the hell does that even mean? It sounds like something from a business administration course.

 

You were right the first time with bafflegab, or as I would say BOHICA.

[Maxbialystock]

I'm not doing PR for Bloom. I don't care about Bloom. I've always said that he could be fired today and it would impact me at all. I grade him like a C/C+ overall and it's pulled down because of the MLB team. If you disagree with my assessment of how the organization is run it's fine. You'd be wrong, but it's fine.

 

Interesting. I agree completely that managers and CBO's are hired to be fired. In fact, I think Cora is John Henry's 5th manager and Bloom is his 5th CBO.

 

That said, however, I do like Cora as a manager. In 2018 he managed the best Sox team ever (which also had lots of talent). In 2021 he managed a far less talented team to the ALCS--without a closer. And this year he sure seems to be doing a heckuva job.

 

As for Bloom, I like that he came from the Rays system because they have repeatedly demonstrated they can field good teams without paying top dollar.

 

I agree it remains to be seen whether he is the right guy for the Sox, but also believe that John Henry wants a sea change in the Sox approach to constructing the MLB roster. This year's Sox collective salaries are ranked 15th in MLB, the lowest in the John Henry era and probably the lowest in the last 40 years.

[mvp 78]

If you don’t agree that his main job in running the whole organization is the record of the big league club then you could be wrong, and that is not fine.

 

His main job is not the record of the big league club. That's not on his resume.