Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom weighs in on Red Sox struggles

BOSTON --- This first Red Sox team assembled by Chaim Bloom is off to one of the worst starts in franchise history.

The win-loss column coming into Wednesday told the ugly story. Boston was 6-18, matching the 1996 team and just two games better than the 4-20 mark posted in 1932. The Red Sox were one more defeat away from their first 10-game losing streak since May 2014.

Boston’s chief baseball officer starts by evaluating his own performance. His daily thought [...]

BOSTON --- This first Red Sox team assembled by Chaim Bloom is off to one of the worst starts in franchise history.

The win-loss column coming into Wednesday told the ugly story. Boston was 6-18, matching the 1996 team and just two games better than the 4-20 mark posted in 1932. The Red Sox were one more defeat away from their first 10-game losing streak since May 2014.

Boston’s chief baseball officer starts by evaluating his own performance. His daily thought process involves exhausting every avenue to improve the club, and that goes for whether the Red Sox are excelling or failing.

"I think I would always tend to be more critical first when I’m looking in the mirror," Bloom said prior to first pitch against the Phillies. "I think that’s how I operate whether we’ve won nine in a row or lost nine in a row. You always want to get better."

Boston has quite a bit of room to do that. Its pitching staff is on pace to set a new franchise-worst in earned-run average. Several position players underperformed exiting Summer Camp, resulting in an underachieving offensive attack. The Red Sox now appear in position to be sellers at the Aug. 31 trade deadline.

"The big picture, the long-term objectives of this organization, I think we had to prioritize from Day One when I got here," Bloom said. "I think those are still important."

First was pulling Boston under the Competitive Balance Tax and resetting their financial penalties. Bloom took extreme measures to do so, trading Mookie Betts, David Price and $48 million to the Dodgers for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong. Betts has been his typically superb self and Los Angeles secured his long-term services thanks to a 12-year, $365-million extension.

"I think it takes a lot of good players over time to build a sustainable championship team," Bloom said. "We are going to need a lot of good players no matter which way we go about it. We got three good ones in that deal."

If Bloom is authorized to trade a homegrown, generational talent like Betts, is anyone on the Red Sox roster guaranteed a long-term future with the club? President and CEO Sam Kennedy said last week in an interview with WEEI he didn’t consider any player untouchable. Bloom turned the heat down a bit on Kennedy’s comments, specifically with an eye on shortstop Xander Bogaerts and third baseman Rafael Devers.

"As I said earlier, I think philosophically I don’t like to think in terms of absolute nos," Bloom said. "But those guys are key players for us. We are very hopeful they’re going to be part of our next championship here."

Boston has captured four World Series this century, including just two short years ago. Steamrolling to 108 victories and dismissing three 100-win opponents in the playoffs had the Red Sox realistically expecting to repeat. They missed out on October, fired president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and mutually parted ways with manager Alex Cora after electronic sign-stealing penalties were handed out by Major League Baseball.

This payroll pivot and the corresponding results on the field have been jarring. Boston will need to be mindful of what such a downturn could do in terms of damaging its long-term brand and collective culture. Bloom admitted that was a concern in the midst of these struggles.

"It’s something we’re going to have to keep monitoring," Bloom said. "I give a lot of credit to some of the veterans on this club and some of the core players here for coming every day ready to work."

That includes manager Ron Roenicke, who served as Cora’s bench coach for two seasons before receiving a promotion during spring training. His tenure with the Brewers from 2011-15 included an appearance in the National League Championship Series, and the 64-year-old celebrated his birthday on Wednesday.

"It’s not fun to come to work if you feel your boss will be a different person just because of last night’s game or the last week of games didn’t go your way," Bloom said. "He hasn’t shown that.

"He is authentic to who he is. He’s consistent. I think that sets a good tone."

Kyle Hart started Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia, one of the top 30 Red Sox prospects per MLB.com. Boston has several other elite talents stashed at its alternate site in Pawtucket including Downs, Wong, pitchers Bryan Mata and Jay Groome and outfielder Jarren Duran. Red Sox fans expecting a host of promotions in the near future could be left disappointed.

"We still need to make sure we are looking as honestly as we can at where guys are in their development and what is going to benefit them," Bloom said. "My experience has been sometimes the worst thing you can do – especially if you’re doing it because you’re unsatisfied with the on-field product at the big league level and you want to get a jolt – is to take shortcuts in a player’s development."

When will Boston be poised to make a return to contention? Bloom balked at offering any timetables or highlighting any specific moves that could improve the club in the short term. Henry clearly has entrusted Bloom with the power to operate as he sees fit while attempting to make progress on all fronts.

"This organization over time, and I’ve certainly seen it up close, has always committed great resources to baseball operations and the pursuit of winning," Bloom said. "I have no reason to think that is going to change."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

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