Bloom should go

[Sea Dog 23]

I didn't want to start a new thread for this bit of research. It seems to fit here. I looked up the position players that The Red Sox have acquired in the Bloom era. A mixed bag, for sure, but it's heavily weighted on the negative.

To start with, that kid we got for Christian Vazquez - Emanuel Valdez -  is doing what most of the other Chaim Bloom trade acquisitions do best. Watching their own batting averages plummet. Valdez's BA in Worcester is now .194. He looks lost. Did we do that? Maybe Here's the others. He joins Downs (.197), Abreu (.190), Hamilton (.225), Binelas (.202), another Valdez (.192) and Hudson Potts (.214) in the "yikes" department. Do note that Binelas has hit 24 HRs this year and Hamilton SB total is up to 56. Imagine that total if he could get on base?

In all fairness to Bloom, some of his pickups are doing decently. Koss at .278, Wong and Hernandez both in the .270's alternating catching duties in Worcester. Sogard was doing OK earlier in the year, but is still hitting .248.

I think his pitching pickups are a mixed bag as well, but will look another day.

On the MLB level, the position players we arrived at after the Beni deal (2021 or 22?) and the Renfroe debacle would be Franchy 1B/OF and Refsnyder RF.  Not that Bloom didn't make a half-a$$ effort to fill those slots, but for whatever reason came up short.  Suzuki that went to the Cubs is regaining his good hitting tools and baserunning in August, Castellanos went to the Phils and is now a hot bat again closing out the year, Marte is having an all-star year in RF for the Mets.  All those players were available as FA's in the Spring, but were easily in the $15-20mil salary bracket.  No way Bloom was going to shell out that kind of dinero, when he wouldn't sign Jansen to be the closer (went for $18mil).

I'm beginning to wonder if guys like Suzuki turned down playing in Boston as Kluber did the year before, probably as an after effect to the Mookie debacle PR.

[Sea Dog 23]

As far as the pitching woes.  Masseroti (I had to bear that squeaky voice again) had some good conclusions to the sad state of the pitching.  Bloom obviously relied heavily on Sale having a big year with Paxton getting healthy in time to close out the year.  Both did not happen, along with Eovaldi's injuries.  Then he signed some older pitchers for the back end, that now have to be the frontline pitchers.

They mishandled Whitlock, who was signed and programmed to be long man in the bullpen, then they decided to try him as a starter, which seemed to screw up his mechanics and pitch selections.  How to fix the mess in 2023??

For 2023 Masseroti said the #1 FA pitcher available is 37 yo Kershaw, followed by #2 Eovaldi with his history of injury.  In the Spring of 2022 it would have been smart to sign some over achievers like Roldan, having a great year at SF or Odorizzi, now doing good with the Braves.  Of course they had already cast their lot with Sale as the ace and they were relying on Eovaldi and Pivetta to have great years.  The bad decisions and then subsequent injuries have turned bad luck into a total disaster.  Face it, the Sox do not have good baseball people in the FO.

[MongoLikeSox]

One and two are those two injury prone guys? Damn, that's some thin pitching ranks for being a pitching dominating league as it is. (present team excluded, of course.)

I agree with that basic statement about our front office not having good baseball people. Assuming the best jumped ship because Dombrowski wasn't letting them sit at the big kids' table. The Red Sox front office tree includes:
Red Sox - 3 games under 50
Arizona - 10 games under 500
Cubs - 17 games under 500
Pirates - 29 games under 500

I know there's one other somewhere, but I lost it. Oh, Dombrowski. 13 games over 500.  LOL   
(I still think I'm a team short. Didn't someone get expelled somewhere for bad behavior? Maybe an interim GM somewhere? Now it's driving me nuts.)

[SeaBeachFred]

After Eovaldi's bravado last night, 0 eared runs I think it was, Bloom would be  cold hearted to trade Nathan today, no black- hearted.  I think the clubhouse suspects JDM is gone, but losing Nathan today would be the nail in the clubhouse coffin.  Also rumors of JBJ moving on, to dump another big salary. Alas the Sox should be under the tax line with those two moves, since that is the new model to run the Boston franchise.

Rumors of Bradley moving on????  You have to be totally drunk and on drugs to believe that.  Any such rumor will be shot down from Henry's yacht when he lets Bloom know that his favorite is not to be traded, released, or even benched.  You watch.  Either Duren, Verdugo or the guy they just got yesterday will be benched to keep Bradley and his putrid bat in the lineup.  You watch.  I am convinced of that.  The only way we will be finally rid of Bradley is for some team to make such an offer of top p rospect or Bradley demanding a trade will be finally rid of this guy.

Mea culpa.  I was wrong....they did get rid of Bradley and most likely the Jays will at the end of this season, so just be aware that the team could still bring the guy back for a third time.  Look how many times we've brought back French Fry after one failure after another.  Last night another gem, three official at-bats and three strikeouts.  The team needs a housecleaning in the "leadership department and it starts with Blomer boy and that filthy rotten cheater.

[elktonnick]

Both Sean McAdam and Peter Abraham have recently written about Alex Cora's  frustrations.. The latter implied  increased tension between Cora and Bloom.  There is speculation that there may be a parting . 
The possibility arises that Bloom may fire Cora in an effort to buy an additional year. for himself.

On the other hand in light of Henry's history with Cora all but forcing Bloom.to bring him back there is thinking if one goes it will be Bloom with the possibility of Cora being kicked upstairs to a front office job.
Some are saying with Abraham's record of solid front.office sources something is a foot.

It could get interesting assuming John Henry isn't preoccupied with non baseball matters.

[Sea Dog 23]

Both Sean McAdam and Peter Abraham have recently written about Alex Cora's  frustrations.. The latter implied  increased tension between Cora and Bloom.  There is speculation that there may be a parting . 
The possibility arises that Bloom may fire Cora in an effort to buy an additional year. for himself.

On the other hand in light of Henry's history with Cora all but forcing Bloom.to bring him back there is thinking if one goes it will be Bloom with the possibility of Cora being kicked upstairs to a front office job.
Some are saying with Abraham's record of solid front.office sources something is a foot.

It could get interesting assuming John Henry isn't preoccupied with non baseball matters.

Sam Kennedy said tonight he is “comfortable saying Bloom and Cora will return for 2023.”  From what elk posted, Kennedy did not elaborate what and where they would return to.

[elktonnick]

Me thinks Kennedy had to say something after both McAdam and Abraham raised the issue.  That also did not sound like a ringing endorsement, although I wonder how much input Kennedy has in the decision.

[elktonnick]

In Aug of 2012, Ben Cherrington said manager Bobby Valentine had ownerships full support.

[MongoLikeSox]

They took time in last night's broadcast to bring up what Kennedy told the Athletic. This is the main quote from the article written by Ken Rothensal. It goes on to utter the stuff they think we want to hear, like how we'll continue to invest at all levels, yearly goal of playing in October, etc.
"
“I am very comfortable saying Chaim and Alex will be back. And I am very comfortable saying there is a strong belief in the direction of the franchise from our ownership group,” Kennedy said Monday. “That direction is continuing to build for the future, but also continuing to invest at the major-league level.”
"

In the end, the only specifics on missteps in the article was a couple captain obvious moves like JBJ/Renfroe and young player development that Ken labeled as having regressed. It was a VERY light hitting PR piece, but at least by someone other than the two that normally massage the issues for the Sox. I think we're very tired of seeing that sort of generic fodder. I'd like to see some serious problems addressed with solutions towards fixing the fundamental issues behind the problems. They say they are owning the criticism and bad year, but they are not owning any specific other than to say something like it didn't work the way we wanted it to, or thought it would. Etc.

[elktonnick]

I certainly agree.  Bringing high quality FA pitchers seems to work in the short run.  But there is something fundamentally wrong with the way pitchers are handled once they get here.  Every team has injuries but the Sox seem to have more than most.  If it were my team I would want to know why..

[MongoLikeSox]

I certainly agree.  Bringing high quality FA pitchers seems to work in the short run.  But there is something fundamentally wrong with the way pitchers are handled once they get here.  Every team has injuries but the Sox seem to have more than most.  If it were my team I would want to know why..

Isn't that par for the course with Tampa, too? Seems like everyone that comes through that system is toast before they can ever reach FA. Some of the better ones are shadows of themselves by the time they're 28 years old. Kasmir, Snell and Archer (who we'll see tonight) to name a few. Glasnow's out since last year, IIRC. Price was OK long enough to soak Dombrowski for $225M. What was left of him went into the dirt after 2018 WS. For the most part, there was always something wrong with him for most of his time here.
(Price's 1st and 3rd years were 35 and 32 starts, so not as bad as I recalled. ERA up a little, though.)

[elktonnick]

For some strange reason Henry is enamored of everything Tampa Bay.  Except for a short time with Price everyone they brought in from Tampa has not worked out, Julio Lugo, Carl Crawford, Price and now Bloom.

[longgame]

For some strange reason Henry is enamored of everything Tampa Bay.  Except for a short time with Price everyone they brought in from Tampa has not worked out, Julio Lugo, Carl Crawford, Price and now Bloom.

Good points.  Something just doesn't translate.  I'm thinking the pressure, playing in front of more than 5000 people every night, a rabid press, and high expectations.  Most of these guys are happy to show up and collect a paycheck.

It's just so clear to me and I think to everyone else here that there are fundamental problems with this organization.  I think the messaging is Dombrowski screwed it up and Bloom is here to fix it, but that doesn't appear to be working, or at least I'm not buying it.  Henry's actions have shown he has little interest in the success (versus the value) of his club.  I think the problem is that love him or hate him, Lucchino was a baseball guy who knew how to run all aspects of a ball club and showed it.  They haven't had that organizational leadership in a long time. 

[elktonnick]

Rumor has it that Larry Lucchino is involved in a group trying to buy the Washington Nationals.

[SeaBeachFred]

They took time in last night's broadcast to bring up what Kennedy told the Athletic. This is the main quote from the article written by Ken Rothensal. It goes on to utter the stuff they think we want to hear, like how we'll continue to invest at all levels, yearly goal of playing in October, etc.
"
“I am very comfortable saying Chaim and Alex will be back. And I am very comfortable saying there is a strong belief in the direction of the franchise from our ownership group,” Kennedy said Monday. “That direction is continuing to build for the future, but also continuing to invest at the major-league level.”
"

In the end, the only specifics on missteps in the article was a couple captain obvious moves like JBJ/Renfroe and young player development that Ken labeled as having regressed. It was a VERY light hitting PR piece, but at least by someone other than the two that normally massage the issues for the Sox. I think we're very tired of seeing that sort of generic fodder. I'd like to see some serious problems addressed with solutions towards fixing the fundamental issues behind the problems. They say they are owning the criticism and bad year, but they are not owning any specific other than to say something like it didn't work the way we wanted it to, or thought it would. Etc.

God missive as always Mongo but shame on you for failing to mention that when Kennedy muttered that nonsense who was holding the strings to keep him aloft.  It was a money move pure and simple and it reminded me of what someone here told me weeks ago.......namely  that Prune Face Henry likes yes men and is leery of people roiling against his wishes.  Kennedy fits that bill perfectly while Bloom and Cora are just miserable incompetents who need no strings because they are mentally screwed up as their ineptitude have demonstrated all year.