moonslav59

I have never said I think Bloom is a great or even good GM. You assume I do because I have defended him often. I don't see everything as black and white, but that does not mean I am a man of no or ever-changing convictions. I have been wrong many times and freely admit it. I no longer think Cora is the greatest, but I did after 2018. If that makes my convictions meaningless, to you, so be it. You find one statement I have made that said Bloom was or has been a good GM. I have pointed out areas he has seemed to do well, like rebuilding the farm, but even there, I have qualified that by saying it is based a lot on speculation. I have graded out his moves and deals, several times, and usually come out at somewhere between a B- and C-, based on when I was grading and the results, at that time. Sounds like a ringing endorsement, to ou, I guess. I have often pointed out the context for many of Bloom's choices, like the idea that it was not his idea to trade Betts, and that there were not dozens of trade offers for him, once it was clear he was going to be traded. You see that as a ringing endorsement of Bloom, but I see it as just stating what I think is true and is actually a neutral view on Bloom. Same with choices made due to the fact that he has 10-20 slots to fill and a small winter budget to try and win with- again- neutral. I see a GM put in an impossible situation and doing about what I would expect- no better- now worse. You see that as my being in love with the guy. I don't. If they make him the fall guy for the an organizational plan, as I feel they did to some extent with Ben, I won't be surprised. Bloom knew what he was getting into, so I won't feel sorry for him, if they can him. If they keep him around, I won't be upset with him, if they limit his spending, this winter. I said last winter was his "legacy" winter and a "make or break" time in his era. He failed. That will be his legacy. I'm not sure it will be the "break," but it's not my call. I think he should have spent more on pitching. I think he should have made a trade for a young and solid pitcher, by now. That's my opinion. It hasn't changed or waivered, but that does not mean I can't or won't try to understand why it did not happened. If it was all Bloom's call, then it's on him. I'd be right in line with you and others calling for his firing. If it was the organization that decided to concentrate nearly all their priorities on building up a foundation on the 26 man roster, the 40 man roster and the farm, before splurging (money and prospects) on pitching, then why would anyone blame the GM? I don't know what the plan has been or is now. We all know it hasn't worked for the big club since DD's last year, here, which is now 5 years, and that is all that seems to matter to you and your posse, but I try to look deeper. Again, if Bloom convinced upper brass that losing for 5 years was needed, I'd say it was not a good plan, and did not need to last 5 years, but to me, it looks like this has been the ownership group's call, all along- starting with a major shift in focus while DD was still here. DD could not win under that new direction, either, but you would never dream of blaming him for 2019- yet the blame game runs rampant in today's society, and you and your posse excel at it. Hurray for you!

I'm not sure why you and others create this great fallacy image. The great scarecrow construction club. Yes, after 2018, I felt like Cora was the GOAT for Sox managers. I'm not so sure about that, anymore. There may still be time for him to win that title. I am not a Bloom fan, but you and others assume I am, since I spend a lot of time defending him against baseless or contextless accusations. I would not be upset, if they bring Bloom back or fire him.

Does that mean half this board thinks we need a fungicide?

Maybe he came to tell JH, to keep Bloom around for another 4 years. LOL

We did decide to not bring back Kimbrell and Kelly, and may have also decided to not bring back Mookie, once we extended Bogey, Sale and Nate. I chose to use the starting point as the inactive 2019 deadline, because we did spend a lot on those 3 extensions. That was more "new" money spent than several years afterwards, combined. Certainly saying the winter before 2019 was the start is a valid point.

I am "prepared to be bummed." I've given up hoping our spending patterns will change, despite still thinking it will, at some point. I do think Yamamoto might be one of our best chances, especially, if his friend Yoshida has good things to say about Boston. (Let's hope he doesn't read Bell's posts... LOL.) Big FA SP signings are, at best, 50-50 gambles. IMO, trades have a better hit rate, but giving up promising prospects goes against one of the other priorities, the team seems to value. Who knows?

Ineed, and this actually started in 2019, or at least at the deadline 2019.

Cora just needs to sit everyone down and tell them to play better and stop striking out so much..

Not sure why you care if I agree, but it would be nice, if you'd not take my "what ifs" as saying I expected it.

Yes, that is true, despite me knowing it ain't happening. Now, you get it.

Where did I say I expected it? You frequently confuse the conditional tense with absolute statements. I just said IF..... He went 31 GS and 164 IP, last year at 4.34. Had he given us that, yes, not a big enough difference to help the overall grade for the staff.

I never said we would go 6-0 vs TEX and TOR. Nothing indicated we would do that, but the point was valid. We had a chance IF we went 6-0 and well in the other games, too.

Yes, in the long term, but I meant in this year's spending choices and level of players. I should have qualified my statement.

If he gave us 30 GS and 190 IP, it would have taken a big strain off the pen, and kept 1-3 pitchers from ever starting a game. It's hard to know, for sure, but he'd have had to have had a 3.20 ERA for 200 IP to get us into the playoffs, and even that wouldn't have been a clear thing.

If the plan was always to not go over, this year, going over last year made no difference.

This was posted before we were just swept.

Nobody can ever even name one poster. Nobody said our rotation was deep or loaded. I said we were deep with mediocre pitchers. That's about as close as I know anyone said.

It was clearly not attended to, but if the plan was for setting up the foundation, first, it's not "mind-boggling" to me that we waited one more year. If we don't go "all in" on the rotation, this year, I'll be extremely bummed.

Maybe 21-30.

If he gets fired, it might be because it was a 4 year plan, and he took 5+.

The weird thing is, he did best with his 2022 SP'er additions than 2021 or 2023, and that team had a worse record.

I'm not. I've said, a few times, I'm not going to expect "this will be the winter we spend."

He would not be the guy I mention when naming our best 5-6 prospects, of even our best 15 or maybe 20.

This must make you so happy.

Just could never put it all together for long enough stretches. One leg always seemed to be broken, but not the same one.