3 Boston Red Sox questions concerning Chaim Bloom’s strategy
The Boston Red Sox and their Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom are in the critical offseason when championship teams or also-rans are built. What he’s actually doing is a topic of conjecture.
The 2021 Red Sox seemed to be cobbled together with string and chicken wire but somehow emerged as a participant in the ALCS Championship series.
While they flamed out in six games, led by Alex Cora once more, they have to be considered a true surprise 2021 team and one that exceeded expectations by a mile.
Bloom’s 2022 game plan for the Boston Red Sox is unclear
After a very fine season in 2021, one might have expected Chaim Bloom to solidify what he had and then add pieces to shore up deficiencies. He hasn’t.
He’s certainly done more already than tinker around the edges of his team. Let’s take a look at some of the moves and try to ascertain what Mr. Bloom is trying to do.
First, in a truly surprising (if not a shocking) move, he unloaded a nice player he had picked up last offseason, Hunter Renfroe. In the process, he reacquired Jackie Bradley Jr. and his $9.5M salary.
Renfroe had 31 home runs in 2021 and 96 RBI’s to go along with a .259 batting average and 16 outfield assists. That’s a nice season for anyone who is not a true star outfielder.
Yet, Bloom cut the cord with Renfroe to pick up a couple of prospects and Bradley who hit a paltry .163. So where’s the beef?
Now, Bradley is one of the best defensive center fielders anywhere, no argument about that. But he can’t hit and didn’t last season in Milwaukee, at all. Renfroe, the guy he pawned off, can hit.
So does that mean carrying this atrocious hitter in your lineup just for defensive purposes? That’s fine, but not at a hefty salary of $9.5M per year.
Renfroe can hit, hit for power, and can unleash heck with that cannon of an arm of his, as well. That move undid one of Bloom’s best moves in 2021. It made no sense whatsoever here.
Why undo one of your best moves in a sterling 2021 to re-acquire a player you let leave in free agency the year before and then assume his large cap hit in so doing?