A Realistic View at 2024: Part I

[Hugh2]

I'm not sure any of the 2023 draftees are actual SS's. They were just athletic enough to play that position for their teams. Campbell is a UTIL guy. Riemer is definitely a 2B.

 

That was my point.

 

Zanatello is a short stop though, at least for now he primarily is.

[Old Red]

It was the indecisiveness, the inability to work with other teams/agents and the s***** record 3 out of 4 years. The indecisiveness led to the two other issues.

 

I keep hearing Bloom’s mission was to build a better farm, which was part of it, but not the main part, which turned out to be at the expense of the big league club. The goal always has to be fielding a competitive team that gets into the postseason, which Bloom couldn’t do his last two years.

[mvp 78]

That was my point.

 

Zanatello is a short stop though, at least for now he primarily is.

 

I was agreeing with you.

[Hugh2]

I was agreeing with you.

 

Well I don't agree to that at all (slams fist into table)

[Bellhorn04]

I don’t think Eflin fits this scenario at all.

 

The Sox made an offer. Elfin took it to Tampa. They matched. He signed immediately. This was not a case of Bloom sticking to his “value guns”. He never got the chance to counter. Eflin clearly wanted to play in Tampa, not Boston.

 

Seems right.

 

You might say Bloom's demise was a mix of bad decisions, indecision, and s***** luck.

[Dipre]

Seems right.

 

You might say Bloom's demise was a mix of bad decisions, indecision, and s***** luck.

 

Indecisiveness and bad luck go hand in hand. You gotta take your law out of Murphy's hand if you can by attacking processes head on. And by process, I mean building a pitching staff before having to resort to the scrap heap.

[Bellhorn04]

Indecisiveness and bad luck go hand in hand. You gotta take your law out of Murphy's hand if you can by attacking processes head on. And by process, I mean building a pitching staff before having to resort to the scrap heap.

 

I agree with that. At the same time I'll always be mystified why Bloom never signed a starting pitcher for more than $10 mill, and I'll always wonder how much of it had to do with budget restrictions imposed on him.

[notin]

Seems right.

 

You might say Bloom's demise was a mix of bad decisions, indecision, and s***** luck.

 

That one was bad luck. Or a bad choice of target.

 

However, there were most likely other scenarios where he simply flubbed the negotiation one way or another.

 

I’m surviving with the indecision/inactivity theory, especially at the deadline. I don’t know if it is why Henry fired him, but it is why I would have…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Seems right.

 

You might say Bloom's demise was a mix of bad decisions, indecision, and s***** luck.

 

I'm giving him credit for promoting and giving big roles to Bello, Casas and Duran.

 

But if Nick Yorke ever makes it, the next GM has to be acknowledged some for his development. Yorke was Bloom's stealth first-round California high school pick in 2020, signed for less than physical specimen Jordan Walker (chosen four picks later).

 

Luck has to be involved for the Rangers taking Evan Carter -- now batting third in the ALCS -- from a New Jersey high school 33 picks after Yorke, and inking him for less than half of what Yorke and Walker got... right?

[mvp 78]

I agree with that. At the same time I'll always be mystified why Bloom never signed a starting pitcher for more than $10 mill, and I'll always wonder how much of it had to do with budget restrictions imposed on him.

 

He signed a DH for more than that. It wasn't a budget thing so much as he didn't know how to manage the budget.

[mvp 78]

I'm giving him credit for promoting and giving big roles to Bello, Casas and Duran.

 

But if Nick Yorke ever makes it, the next GM has to be acknowledged some for his development. Yorke was Bloom's stealth first-round California high school pick in 2020, signed for less than physical specimen Jordan Walker (chosen four picks later).

 

Luck has to be involved for the Rangers taking Evan Carter -- now batting third in the ALCS -- from a New Jersey high school 33 picks after Yorke, and inking him for less than half of what Yorke and Walker got... right?

 

They went below slot so that they'd have more money in the 3rd round, which is how they got Blaze Jordan. If Blaze doesn't make up the difference between Yorke and the others around him in the 1st round, it was a bad decision.

[Hugh2]

He signed a DH for more than that. It wasn't a budget thing so much as he didn't know how to manage the budget.

 

He also gave out sizable contracts to Story and Yoshida as well. Not monster deals but, if that is the price range you have to work with he could of signed much better than Kluber.

[notin]

They went below slot so that they'd have more money in the 3rd round, which is how they got Blaze Jordan. If Blaze doesn't make up the difference between Yorke and the others around him in the 1st round, it was a bad decision.

 

I think with Yorke, they didn’t have a second round pick (and corresponding slot money). So there is also something to them taking a player they liked at what they felt was their last chance to get him…

[Bellhorn04]

He also gave out sizable contracts to Story and Yoshida as well. Not monster deals but, if that is the price range you have to work with he could of signed much better than Kluber.

 

That's the mystery. Like I've said before, it really seems like he was under the impression he was working on a 5 year plan.

[Randy Red Sox]

I keep hearing Bloom’s mission was to build a better farm, which was part of it, but not the main part, which turned out to be at the expense of the big league club. The goal always has to be fielding a competitive team that gets into the postseason, which Bloom couldn’t do his last two years.

 

or 3 out of his 4 years on the job

[Randy Red Sox]

They went below slot so that they'd have more money in the 3rd round, which is how they got Blaze Jordan. If Blaze doesn't make up the difference between Yorke and the others around him in the 1st round, it was a bad decision.

 

i said from day 1 that it was a bad decisions. based on the rankings every other MLB team knew the same

[Nick]

There's really not much to discuss.......blah blah blah

 

Show me the money won't happen until the World Series is over.

[notin]

i said from day 1 that it was a bad decisions. based on the rankings every other MLB team knew the same

 

Somebody should have told Yorke, who could be in AAA at age 22 next season…

[Hugh2]

They went below slot so that they'd have more money in the 3rd round, which is how they got Blaze Jordan. If Blaze doesn't make up the difference between Yorke and the others around him in the 1st round, it was a bad decision.

 

Does it negate the strategy overall? because a good strategy can fall short of expectations one year and exceed them the next.

 

E.G. Ok maybe Jordan doesn't amount to much, but what if Roman Anthony becomes an absolute stud?

[mvp 78]

Does it negate the strategy overall? because a good strategy can fall short of expectations one year and exceed them the next.

 

E.G. Ok maybe Jordan doesn't amount to much, but what if Roman Anthony becomes an absolute stud?

 

The strategy is sound if it works out. The concerns at the time were that Yorke was a reach. In time, that may be the case.

[Hugh2]

The strategy is sound if it works out. The concerns at the time were that Yorke was a reach. In time, that may be the case.

 

If that's the methodology for evaluation, then how is Yorke any different than any other pick?

[mvp 78]

If that's the methodology for evaluation, then how is Yorke any different than any other pick?

 

I only say it that way now because I don't see Blaze working out at all. The 2020 draft working relies on Yorke's success. Going overslot with Blaze didn't do anything for this farm system. Does anyone realistically see him as getting meaningful time in BOS? Blocked by Casas at 1B. Middling offensive production. Rule 5 eligible next offseason.

[Hugh2]

I only say it that way now because I don't see Blaze working out at all. The 2020 draft working relies on Yorke's success. Going overslot with Blaze didn't do anything for this farm system. Does anyone realistically see him as getting meaningful time in BOS? Blocked by Casas at 1B. Middling offensive production. Rule 5 eligible next offseason.

 

Blaze probably gets traded. It's a 5 round draft, and in a sense Blaze is no different than any guy who you allocate a large chunk of your bonus pool.

 

I suppose an alternative strategy is to go BPA and give them a big bonus and NOT throw the money around. This strategy doesn't always work out either. E.G. Jay Groome.

 

My point was, I'm not going to judge a strategy in the draft based on one draft. I can't argue against anyone saying they may have had a bad draft any year.

[mvp 78]

Blaze probably gets traded. It's a 5 round draft, and in a sense Blaze is no different than any guy who you allocate a large chunk of your bonus pool.

 

I suppose an alternative strategy is to go BPA and give them a big bonus and NOT throw the money around. This strategy doesn't always work out either. E.G. Jay Groome.

 

My point was, I'm not going to judge a strategy in the draft based on one draft. I can't argue against anyone saying they may have had a bad draft any year.

 

I'm not saying the strategy itself is wrong, but maybe the pics were or at least seem to be today.

[moonslav59]

I agree with that. At the same time I'll always be mystified why Bloom never signed a starting pitcher for more than $10 mill, and I'll always wonder how much of it had to do with budget restrictions imposed on him.

 

It can't be totally blamed on the budget, because some budgets had enough room for spending more on pitching and less on other areas.

 

There seemingly was not $10M limit on a SP'er, since we did offer a QO to Nate, a large contract to Nate (that was later pulled back) and a larger than $10M deal for Eflin. Maybe there was more we don't know about.

 

I doubt upper brass would have allowed a huge deal for anyone (larger than Story), and maybe more so for a SP'er.

 

Bloom chose to spend on Yoshida and Story and the pen since March 2022. That's on him.

 

[Hugh2]

I'm not saying the strategy itself is wrong, but maybe the pics were or at least seem to be today.

 

That I agree with. A good plan that is poorly executed looks an awful lot like a bad plan.

 

I think it’s important to make the distinction between the two. Because there are too many in here who would be ok throwing the baby out with the bath water

[Randy Red Sox]

Somebody should have told Yorke, who could be in AAA at age 22 next season…

 

IF Yorke ever becomes the Red Sox STARTING 2B then I will admit to being wrong but that is a long way off IMO

[moonslav59]

IF Yorke ever becomes the Red Sox STARTING 2B then I will admit to being wrong but that is a long way off IMO

 

You can't hit on every draft, and the 2020 one was just 4 rounds.

 

Yorke seems to have the best shot out of him, Drohan and Jordan.

 

Since it was Bloom's first draft, and the long wait for good prospects to join the team and mature into fine players was ongoing, that draft just seemed to prolong the wait. The, on top of all this, we drafted mostly HS players, highly, after 2020.

 

Anyway, I hope the day comes you will admit you were wrong, but it looks like you will most likely be right.

 

 

[mvp 78]

IF Yorke ever becomes the Red Sox STARTING 2B then I will admit to being wrong but that is a long way off IMO

 

Maybe late 24 or 25.

[Hugh2]

Imagine being hung up on the 2020 draft