In 2019, the Red Sox hired Chaim Bloom with the hopes of constructing a title contender as well as maintaining the dream that Bloom could serve as an adequate replacement following the departure of Dave Dombrowski. Dombrowski, a legendary general manager who drafted Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello, Nick Castellanos, and Curtis Granderson, selected Tanner Houck and Triston Casas in his Red Sox tenure, both of whom have had a measurable role in the team’s success since entering the big leagues. Casas is currently eyeing a Rookie of the Year award, batting .265 with 24 longballs and 64 runs batted in. 

On Thursday afternoon the Red Sox decided that Bloom’s body of work did not live up to the expectations that they had after Dombrowski’s departure. Following a deadline that saw no notable movement out of Boston (you can read my article on it here: Red Sox Trade Deadline: a Retrospective), many fans were disappointed. Boston is currently sitting at last place in the AL East with a 73-72 record and has posted a losing record since the trade deadline. 2023 is far from being the only disappointment for Boston’s faithful in Bloom’s tenure. The still-young general manager dealt Mookie Betts for scraps in 2019 after an MVP/championship-winning campaign. He let Xander Bogearts, J.D. Martinez, and Nathan Eovaldi walk for free this past offseason. 

Bloom’s lack of urgency irked many Red Sox fans over his three-plus-year tenure. In 2019 and 2020, following a championship, they recessed, posting two consecutive losing seasons. 2021 saw Boston reach the ALCS but fell in six games to the Houston Astros. In 2022, the Red Sox watched the playoffs from home yet again. This season, they are on track to repeat this destiny.

Bloom had previously been with the Tampa Bay Rays, a franchise that he molded into a perennial contender with an ultra-cheap strategy by baseball standards that was admirable for a small market franchise. Now, after nearly four years with Boston, his tenure is over.