Red Sox GM Says That Adding Snell Would Have Crushed Farm System, Set Future Back
Red Sox' newly hired GM Chaim Bloom was asked on local radio why Boston didn't pull the trigger on a trade for Blake Snell. His explanation was interesting, and it actually made sense.
"That's exactly the sort of deal, given the cost and price tag, that would not make sense for where we're positioned right now," Bloom said. "I think would put us further behind in our goal to win as many championships as we can over the long-term."
Here's what Chaim Bloom meant:
Former general manager Dave Dombrowski, whom the Red Sox fired less than a year after winning a World Series, did a terrible job building a farm system. So Bloom didn't have the resources to make the trade that his fan base wanted. Don't blame him, he says. Blame Dave.
He's actually right. Dave Dombrowski is known to be an aggressive GM who trades young up-and-coming prospects for ready-now stars. The fan base didn't complain when he was doing this, but it did hurt the team long-term. Bloom is simply giving an explanation as to why he couldn't swing a deal in a responsible manner.
This type of discipline is precisely why the Red Sox hired Bloom in the first place. He's reasonable, won't trade everyone for the expensive stars, and he has a "big picture" mentality. He's the perfect GM to build the most lucrative business model possible for Sox owner John Henry. I know, it's annoying.
Red Sox Rotation
Boston's rotation was laughable in 2020. It didn't matter if Alex Cora, who's since been re-hired, was there or not. Blake Snell would have been the ace of the 2021 Red Sox, so only a long-term mind like Bloom could nix a Snell-Red Sox marriage.
With a team ERA of 5.58 last year, just about anyone would be an upgrade to that pitching staff in Boston. If the Red Sox want to get better, a healthy Chris Sale, whom the Bo' Sox lost for most of 2020 to Tommy John surgery, is a solid start.