Red Sox fire chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom amid another disappointing season
Bloom's success with Tampa Bay Rays never translated in bigger market
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Boston Red Sox announced they have fired chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Thursday after four seasons.
Bloom joined the Red Sox in September 2019 after the organization moved on from general manager Dave Dombrowski, which was one year after winning the World Series. Because of his small-market success with the Tampa Bay Rays, Bloom’s abilities to find talent at a small price was a change of pace Boston believed it needed.
However, Bloom’s tenure has been a roller coaster, which includes last-place finishes in the AL East in the shortened 2020 season and the 2022 campaign. That could be three seasons depending on how Boston finishes this season as they are currently tied with the New York Yankees for the worst record in the division.
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Chaim Bloom (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
"While parting ways is not taken lightly, today signals a new direction for our club," Red Sox owner John Henry said in a statement. "Our organization has significant expectations on the field, and while Chaim's efforts in revitalizing our baseball infrastructure have helped set the stage for the future, we will today begin a search for new leadership."
"Everyone who knows Chaim has a deep appreciation and respect for the kind of person he is. His time with us will always be marked by his professionalism, integrity and an unwavering respect for our club and its legacy."
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Bloom had a small-market mindset when he came to Beantown, and despite better financial flexibility with the Red Sox compared to the Rays, his first big move irked many of the Fenway faithful.
Bloom traded All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a move that hasn’t been forgotten as the Red Sox have struggled in recent seasons. The Red Sox haven’t spent a lot of money on free agents since Bloom took over as he focused on building the farm system instead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While Henry acknowledged Bloom’s efforts on that front has turned up solid prospects that "set the stage for the future," he didn’t do enough in the bigs to continue leading the way.
The Boston Red Sox announced they have fired chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Thursday after four seasons. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Red Sox’s best season with Bloom at the helm was in 2021 when they shocked some by making it to the ALCS against the Houston Astros after finishing in last place in the division the year before.
Boston would fight hard, getting the series to six games before falling to the Astros.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This season, the Red Sox were in American League wild-card contention, but that appears all but mathematically gone. Boston has lost six of its last seven games, falling to 73-72 and 7.5 games back of the final wild-card spot with 17 games to play.
Moving forward, the Red Sox will review candidates to take over for Bloom, with Red Sox fans likely wanting someone who is more inclined to flex the financial muscle that Boston possesses.
Chaim Bloom speaks at a press conference during a Boston Red Sox spring training team workout on February 13, 2023, at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida. (Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Team president Sam Kennedy said former Red Sox executive Theo Epstein would not be an option.