Whether the Boston Red Sox made the proper choice in appointing Craig Breslow as their senior baseball executive in place of Chaim Bloom is still up in the air. Although his poor handling of the Rafael Devers saga earlier this season did him no favors, Breslow appears to have made some shrewd moves around last month’s trade deadline. Winning in October will undoubtedly be Breslow’s final litmus test, as Bloom discovered.
Bloom will take over as the Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations in October. The Cardinals’ executive office used to serve as an example for success in Major League Baseball, but now the franchise is viewed as an afterthought in its own division. Following the team’s attendance slump earlier this week, Cardinals supporters appear to be ready for a change.
The Cardinals will not be reaching the playoffs unless they have a spectacular run from now until the conclusion of the season. Bloom will probably have to take a wrecking ball to the Cardinals’ core group of seasoned players who haven’t performed well in recent seasons once their season ends.
Cardinals dramatic rebuild now has Chaim Bloom right in the middle of it
It appears like Bloom’s first act will be laying the groundwork for the Cardinals’ complete reconstruction, as Katie Woo hinted at in a recent mailbag for The Athletic.
“Bloom signed a pretty long deal with chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. to become the new president of baseball operations. Bloom has a five-year term through the 2031 system. That gives me the impression that ownership is aware that this won’t be a quick repair and will give Bloom ample time to rebuild the organization instead of merely patching it and hoping for the best.
Put differently, don’t count on the Cardinals to be a contender right away once Bloom takes over the team’s front office.
This summer, Bloom is probably going to try to move three veterans: Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado. All three players appeared to have objected to a possible trade during the last year, but because a rebuild is all but certain, it’s likely that they will alter their minds if Bloom presents the concept to them. Perhaps Bloom should learn from Breslow’s example and not be scared to trade a player who is ingrained in the team’s culture.
However, it serves as a reminder to Red Sox supporters that in a matter of weeks, their former goalie will assume a position of authority with one of the league’s most illustrious teams.
