Hugh2

Yes, which is why Henry is on the hot seat now. Did he fire Bloom to make him a scape goat, only to hire someone else who will "continue the work" or Did he fire Bloom because he learned the error of his ways and he has grown his balls back and he wants a guy who is going to make those big moves. Who he hires, and the decisions that person makes this offseason will answer that question.

That's right I forgot about that, but Story was your 2nd, who did they get to replace him at 2nd when they decided to move him over? Chang? Arroyo? when you look at the up the middle position together SS/2B they obviously left a huge gaping hole there to start the season.

No, Bloom wasn't hired to "rebuild" he was hired to rebuild the farm while still fielding a competitive team. He did that 1 year here. So he was 25% successful at 50% of his mandate. He did rebuild the farm, but half of that was because he didn't trade away guys, the farm could be even better if he pulled the trigger on some deadline deals so I give him b- on building the farm and a D+ Overall he gets a C. C doesn't cut it on big market team, C doesn't get you into a good college, it gets you into community college.

And who has never needed a rebuild at some point?

Kike was never the problem. The problem was the fact that he had to be your starting SS because the Sox didn't get a real replacement for Bogaerts.

Exactly, I'm getting angry all over again about how they threw TITO under the bus and smeared his name.

Anybody who is believes or disbelieves these reports 100% is a very gullible person. I don't disbelieve them, but the timing is questionable, there are obviously elements of truth in them but there's no way Bloom acted on his own without ownership's approval. Their hands are dirty too and they're throwing Bloom under the bus. That should be obvious to anyone with half a brain.

And yet Kike has been better in LA on both sides of the ball. It's amazing how a player can change when he's used right. This is what happens when you don't get a starting SS and throw the job on a guy like Kike.

half agree. You do have to do all those things......they just shouldn't take 5+ years. A well-run organization can rebuild in just a few.

I'm not ignoring the smoke, I'm questioning the timing and the spin. Henry very well could have instructed Bloom to trade Betts, or gave Bloom a no when he conveyed Betts price tag. That doesn't make it a lie when they say "yeah, he traded away Mookie Betts" I don't not believe these stories, I disbelieve that Henry and Co were in the dark and not on board with them, and to some extent may have even instructed them to happen. Bloom had his disadvantages and it may have been his time to go regardless, but this reeks of a smear campaign with the FO throwing him under the bus. As if they want to wash their hands clean of the last 4 years and say NONE of it was on them. That's BS.

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.

Agreed, I think he's a good one too. Wish we could clone 10 more of him.

Today I'm starting to see the forest for the trees, I find some of these reports troublesome and I'm certain there are elements of truth to all of them. But it just reaks of BS and Smear and Spin from the Sox front office.

I don't believe those reports for one second, that's the first thing he did and Henry let him live here for another 4 whole freaking years. If that is true, then it's on Henry that he kept him on for 4 years after trading Betts. Everything coming out now has to be taken with a massive grain of salt. There's no way Betts got traded without Henry's approval, he also may have been traded because Henry wouldn't allow the money it would have taken to resign Betts. There's no way Betts can not be on Henry.

People under estimate how desperate teams get. Pitchers losing a year and coming from TJ is so common nowadays that we have to look at it minus the lens of our own biases. It's perfectly believable a team could have thought they were buying low and could get a highly talented guy like Chris Sale for next to nothing.

So, I suppose O'Hallaran really is moving to another position. Not GM, not CBO then.

That's fair, but if he does Blooms bidding and then gets thrown under the bus and the organization loses a highly talented guy I'm going to be pissed. At a certain point there's value in continuity, and having a mass exodus of talent can have long-term implications.

Started listening to this podcast. Great analysis of Bloom, future and past and the front office. http://news.soxprospects.com/2023/09/podcast-ep-294-chaim-bloom-fired.html

I almost don't want it to be Eddie Romero, because I like Eddie Romero and if he becomes the new CBO/GM it might be a death sentence to his tenure here in Boston at some point. If they think a guy like Eddie is ready, they better be ready to commit to him long-term.

I'm not sure who all the good ones and bad ones are. But I'm fairly certain Eddie Romero is a guy who should stick around. He's had his hands involved in pretty much every IFA superstar that has made his way to Boston in the past couple decades.

I missed some of the interview, did they seriously try to blame Bloom for trading Betts?

There's no new regime. Same team, same front office. With or without Bloom. All the people around Bloom are still there, all the people he answered too and who answered to him are still there.

They're certainly doing their best. Their best effort to finish last.

Like all things, time will judge all. I would be concerned with his offensive decline this year, but he could bounce back next year and be fine. I always like Xander, I hope nothing but the best for him.

The timing is obviously questionable. If this was true it would have came out when it happened. Unless it's true and was just leaked. So maybe it's not true, maybe it's but the lesson in that last sentence is THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY LEAKED. True or false the spin machine is in full effect in Boston.