This was Blooms biggest asset and disadvantage.
He had a value system attached to guys, and he may have too good at that for his own good. Heres how.
If you're the most rational guy in the room, and you have determined that player XYZ is worth $100, and someone else comes in and wants to pay $102 and you stick to your guns, you never get said player. Being too rational is almost a disadvantage. This was Bloom's problem, and it's why I think he never got a Right fielder in 2022. Those of us who defended the JBJ trade did so because at the time we thought it was a precursor to signing a starter to play RF, JBJ was going to be the 4th outfielder to shore up the defense. But Bloom never signed anyone else, because he was outbid on EVERYONE.
This is why he couldn't trade Paxton, Eovaldi, JDM, and others in recent years at the deadline. He had unrealistic expectations.
The Vasquez trade is actually starting to look like a very very very good trade. Two guys, 12 years of MLB service for 2 months of CV. Because one time he found a team willing to overpay and meet his price.
At a certain point you have to be a little irrational if you're going to win the bid and get the guy. That's what Dave D was good at, and it's what the Sox need this offseason if they're going to fix the rotation. Because realistically they need 3 starters, and the place should be burned to the ground if they trade everyone they got to get them. They're going to (or at least should) be filling two of those slots in FA, and that will never happen under Blooms rational value system.