“He’s one of the greatest players to ever wear our uniform,’’ new Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom softly said when cornered on a back practice field, “and that makes it really difficult to do something like this.
“We feel that. We know our fans feel that. We know it hurts. We know it’s going to hurt for awhile.’’
“Even though I didn’t get a chance to know him,’’ said Bloom, who was hired in November to replace David Dombrowski, “I know how it feels to be that connected to a player. To feel that connected to a great player, and how difficult it is to see that player leave the organization, I fully get all that. …
“We just felt at the end of the day our jobs are to do what’s best for the Red Sox, not just for today, but also down the road. We have that duty to our fans to make sure we’re taking care of the long view of the organization as well.
“So, as tough as it was, we felt this move accomplished that.’’