Boston Red Sox: ‘Buying low’ the new Red Sox way

Boston.com noted that the Boston Red Sox were “buying low” on a newly acquired pitcher from the New York Yankees no less, Adam Ottavino.

That was well-put and rather than an aberration, it appears to be the new reality for the Red Sox under Chaim Bloom. It seems like Bloom never met a pitcher with an ERA over 5.00 that he didn’t like. The Red Sox roster is flooded with them.

More from Chowder and Champions

• 3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
• 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
• MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
• 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season

Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy said that the Red Sox were not going “all-in” in 2021. No argument here about that.

To go all-in you actually have to sit at the table and draw some cards. So far, the Red Sox are still in the lounge waiting for a seat.

Evidently, John Henry and the rest of the Red Sox owners didn’t tell Bloom that the Red Sox were a big-market team, not the Tampa Bay club. (Although in another sport, that city does seem to be an emerging big market team, does it not?)

Yet, maybe they did tell him that, and that would be the bigger story. Poor Bloom, he goes to a big market club only to be told they’re now a small market spending team.

Whatever the rationale behind the Red Sox uninspiring offseason (where championships are built, don’t you know), it’s been a bore and the excitement level is about a high as that for the Patriots quarterback situation right now.

Perhaps someone could enlighten as to just when the Sox became a small market club, scratching together nickels to try to compete against the Yankees and teams like the short-money Tampa Bay Rays? In the case of the Rays, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

Never mind, that’s a rhetorical question, it was when they traded an arguably top 2 player in baseball and handed the already good Los Angeles Dodgers the World Series last season. That, of course, would be one Mookie Betts.

What trade with Yankees says about Boston Red Sox.

But a trade with the Yankees, now that’s interesting of itself. It says a couple of things, really. First, it says that Ottavino really isn’t adjudged to be quite good enough to remain in Yankee pinstripes, a team aiming at the big prize.

Second, it says, and this is even worse, that the Bronx big guys will now trade with the Red Sox because they feel that outfit isn’t even a threat to them anymore. Ouch, that hurts a lot more than Ottavino’s 5.89 ERA last season.

So, it’s doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Mr. Henry et al have, shall we say, “encouraged” Bloom to bottom feed like a flounder off Revere Beach and maybe, hopefully, troll the club into a few surprises? But don’t bet on getting a top player off the bottom.

The Red Sox have shut off their credit cards and looked to the dollar rather than the best interests of the team. Maybe readers will feel that an acquisition or two thus far in the offseason has excited to the point of at least getting off their couch to get another root beer? Maybe not.

So that’s it. The mighty dollar has taken hold of the Boston Red Sox and their now penny-pinching ownership. They intend to make the Red Sox Tampa Bay-North, whatever it takes. Or doesn’t take, like spending on quality players, not retreads and mediocre hopefuls.

So that’s the setup so far in this exciting “be-yawn-ed” belief offseason of mega trades, big free agent signings, and just all-around big-time moves to bring in the best.

The goal, make the fans exuberant, enervated, and intoxicated with expectations for the season. Well, maybe that last adjective might work. That might be all that’s left for Red Sox fans who aren’t as clueless as the team ownership evidently thinks.