Boston GM Chaim Bloom being booed at Red Sox Winter Weekend. Photo via Boston.com
The Boston Red Sox have decided to part ways with their Chief Baseball Officer, Chaim Bloom.
The move was announced this afternoon, shortly before the beginning of the second doubleheader against the Yankees in two days. The Yankees and Red Sox have been living in the cellar of the AL East for the second half of the season now. But after the Yanks swept the first doubleheader in Fenway, the Red Sox were pushed to last place again. This was apparently a tipping point, and Bloom paid the piper.
A Disappointing Tenure
“The results we expect from our organization have not been there, and we felt it was time for new leadership to help chart a different path forward,” team president Sam Kennedy said. “We all know where we are in the standings. It’s a painful reality that fans feel as deeply as we do. Our fans deserve a winning, competitive team that consistently plays postseason baseball.”
Chaim Bloom was hired after the 2018 championship season—which saw allegations of cheating. He was brought in to alleviate the team’s payroll situation, which was previously top in the league. He did just that, along with revamping the organization’s minor league system, but this came at the expense of constantly finishing last. Between 2019 and 2022, they finished in last place twice and only made the postseason in one of those seasons (2021).
What’s Next?
“We expected a team that would be in this thing, a postseason contender and unfortunately we all know we feel short of that,” Kennedy continued. “We are in the results business. Results, ultimately, always matter.”
Current Red Sox GM Brian O’Halloran will serve as the interim CBO, as he was offered a higher position. However, the team has stated that the search for a new CBO will begin immediately. Perhaps O’Halloran will either continue to be the GM or take on a different role. Either way, the Red Sox look poised for their third last-place finish in Bloom’s tenure.
