What was Bloom's best acquisition?
- Thread starter Ale Xander
- Start date
As stated by others above, there have been several. Nothing close to Varitek and Lowe for Slocumb, but still some good moves
I think it's too soon to tell because we don't know what a guy like Abreu will be, but obviously he looks promising. Bloom has made a lot of great moves. Unfortunately it's probably the great moves he DIDN'T make that ultimately cost him his job.
ATM I would say the acquisition of Verdugo and Wong. Say what you want about the trade either way, but the deal itself brought two players that have become solid starters and contributors at the major league level.
Urias deal may go down as one of his betters. Acquiring a pre-arb 2ber with average defense and above-average offense for two pitchers who may amount to nothing seems like a good deal to me.
Now Urias might flame out entirely, or the pitchers may hit, but it seems like getting a good major league player, whose previous two seasons would have made him the Red Sox second-best position player this year, could end up being a really good deal.
Now Urias might flame out entirely, or the pitchers may hit, but it seems like getting a good major league player, whose previous two seasons would have made him the Red Sox second-best position player this year, could end up being a really good deal.
If Urias and Story could produce in 2024 what the have shown to be capable of (Urias' 2021-2022 and even Story's career road splits), that would make for a very nice middle infield.
Urias isn’t pre-arb, is he? He’s making $4.7M this year. Given how much Valdez is playing, I’m skeptical if Urias is even tendered a contract.
Schwarber. He helped get the team within two games of the World Series. Bloom might still be here if he had made a similar acquisition this past deadline.
2023 was his first year of arbitration (had 3+ years of prior service time). He'll be an arb2 guy for 2024.
If you want to only look at the 160 PA he's generated this year rather than the body of his career, that's more than your prerogative. Over his 1000 previous PA he was about WRC+ 110
@Petagine in a Bottle you are correct, my bad there. He's not prearb, but he is cheap. I expect the two of them to duke it out next year for the position, with Urias having the significant edge given that he is the competent fielder and the guy who was worth 7 bWAR the previous two seasons combined.
Urias has too much of a track record. They could have optioned Urias over Valdez two days ago but they didn't. If we get the guy he was in Milwaukee before he got hurt, that would literally have been the Red Sox best position player this year next to Devers.
Last edited:
What this tells me is that Bloom was brought in to resurrect the farm and build a team in that model.
Yes, he signed Story and Yoshida, but he needed time to get his model done.
What this also tells me is that this FO is not signing up for a plan where the Sox are out of contention for 3 out of 4 seasons.
My vote is the draft, but we will not be sure of the results until maybe 2025.
Yes, he signed Story and Yoshida, but he needed time to get his model done.
What this also tells me is that this FO is not signing up for a plan where the Sox are out of contention for 3 out of 4 seasons.
My vote is the draft, but we will not be sure of the results until maybe 2025.
For trades, the Vazquez one was the best. He gave up a catcher on the verge of offensive collapse and got two guys who seem to have MLB quality bats. His best free agent signing was probably Justin Turner, who I'd vote for team MVP this year, as much as being the MVP of a .500 team is worth. You could argue for Kike on the strength of his September and October of 2021 alone.
On a purely value based level I think it's in near the top. He got an awful lot for a year of control over Mookie.
I voted Whitlock because he was a major contributor to the ALCS appearance as well as a guy going forward. Cost nothing but a bit of cash.
If Yoshida gives us an edge in signing Yamamoto...that rose can still bloom just fine
Except he let him go. Which counts as demerits in my book. Some here have told me that was a good move in light of Schwarber's defense and other teasons. To that I say BS, Schwarber helps you win.
It's probably too early to say, but Whitlock has to be a front runner. Quite a lot of something for nothing.
Well, he was a FA. So by that logic, Bloom also let all these guys go: https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2021-22-free-agents-by-position
Demerits! Demerits everywhere!!!!
Meh. Schwarber made it known that he wanted to come back. Lumping him in with guys who had no connection to the Sox is wrong. Whatever, Chaim is gone, and I will have lunch.
Schwarber has been worth 2.7 bWAR to the Phillies over the last two years (2.2 last year, 0.5 this year). Justin Turner has been worth 2.5 bWAR just this season. Safe to say if Schwarber is here, JT is not. Are you saying that this team wins more games this year with Schwarber than JT?
I liked him. I was sorry to see him go. With the benefit of hindsight, I dont miss him.
20 million for .5 WAR (acc to b ref) seems pretty steep. He can almost make no contact except for HRs. 45 HRs but 95 RBIs is really hard to do.
In that same vein, though Turner is on the list of excellent acquisitions.
Bloom was very good at getting something for nothing (or for very little). Didn’t get a chance to see if he couldn’t turn somethings into bigger somethings. Whitlock and Pivetta were both excellent work.
Of course, if the biggest contract on the team during his tenure had been merely average and not a raging 4 year tire fire, we are probably singing a different tune entirely and this thread wouldn’t exist.
Of course, if the biggest contract on the team during his tenure had been merely average and not a raging 4 year tire fire, we are probably singing a different tune entirely and this thread wouldn’t exist.
Way too early to know in terms of outcomes. In terms of process, trading two months of Vazquez for two grade B prospects while also unloading a mildly bad deal for 4+ years of a C who is better, and cheaper than Vazquez is having your cake and eating it too. (And yes, they are two separate deals, but one probably doesn't happen without the other.)
Doesn't every FA say, "I'd really like to come back." Because they're a FA, and would like to get offers.
I think we can agree that if they had Kyle Schwarber there is no place for Justin Turner?
Schwarber has 0.5 bWAR this year to Turner's 2.5.
Schwarber only trails Turner 1.4 to 1.7 in fWAR.
But Schwarber makes significantly more money over a longer period of time & offers less ability to play defense.
Schwarber has 0.5 bWAR this year to Turner's 2.5.
Schwarber only trails Turner 1.4 to 1.7 in fWAR.
But Schwarber makes significantly more money over a longer period of time & offers less ability to play defense.
Bloom's best acquisition is an immense amount of goodwill that led a portion of the fanbase to think everything he did or did not do was amazing with no flaws (kidding. sort of.)
I'd say Schwarber or Whitlock, if I had to.
I'd say Schwarber or Whitlock, if I had to.
It's not clear to me that Urias is superior to Reyes at second base, both offensively and defensively. Yes, Reyes made an awkward play last night, but that's not typical.
I can’t find it but there was an early interview with Bloom where he said he was looking for incremental value gains in all movements.
I think the firing has to do with the ownership wanting bigger wins vs incremental wins going forward. This involves taking bigger risks that Bloom might not have wanted to make.
I think the firing has to do with the ownership wanting bigger wins vs incremental wins going forward. This involves taking bigger risks that Bloom might not have wanted to make.
The problem with the Red Sox right now is debating if Reyes is any good. He stinks and isn’t the type of player a consistently winning team has on their roster. I’m amazed people want him on the teams because that means there isn’t a better player available.
Schwarber got 4/72 from the Phillies. It he was still here, they probably don’t sign Yoshida for 5/90.
Would you rather have Schwarber for the next two seasons at $40m or Yoshida for the next four at $72m.
Would you rather have Schwarber for the next two seasons at $40m or Yoshida for the next four at $72m.
Wow, a second baseman that provides a 100 OPS+ and is positive in both oWAR and dWAR "stinks"? I know the fan base was spoiled by Pedroia for years, but who did you have in mind as those available "better players"? As a backup or temporarly fill-in he's exactly the kind of guy that "winning teams" have on their roster. Does Luis Sojo ring a bell?
Yoshida.
Schwarber is a negative WAR player today. Has always been an injury risk. Yoshida is slightly younger and has potential to hit better.