And the 2021 Red Sox are helping his case.
The idea is not without merit. Bloom did as much as say this is a first place team not worth investing further in.
Usage and effectiveness of the bullpen certainly plays a role in a team's W-L record.
But a lot of times you win one or two run games when the bullpen does a crappy job. Sometimes the pen turns a 4 run lead into a 1 run win. Or sometimes the pen blows the lead in the top of the 9th and you score a run in the bottom of the 9th to win.
Let me see if I have this straight:
-With "clutch", you have to prove it exists.
-With lineup comfort, you have to prove it doesn't exist.
No, I don't think that's fair, somehow. But maybe you can explain how to go about proving a negative.
If he had started playing first base after the 2 weeks, sure. But they really had no clue where he was going to play, and so we have JD playing Keystone Cops in the outfield.
But on deadline day, they were 7-3 in their last 10 games:
4-2 against the Jays
3-1 against the Yankees
And in first place by 1.5
They were not looking bad at all.
The series with the Rays didn't actually start until after the closing bell July 30 though.
It's true they were wobbling some before the deadline, but since then they have been flat out horrible.