Totally makes sense. However, the contention that kicked off my line of questions was about not needing to acquire a frontline starter at all during the past 4 years. Since the window wasn’t to open until 2024-25. I get how in any given year circumstances can dictate a change in plans. But seems safe to say that Bloom did not prioritize acquiring top end starters for most of his tenure. Maybe that would’ve changed. But it’s too late now.
Okay, but again, what starter should he have acquired presumably in lieu of one or more of Richards, Perez, Wacha, Hill, and Kluber. Because that's the argument you're making: that he should have signed frontline pitcher X rather than go year-to-year with those guys. Is there someone in particular that is an obvious miss during that period that would not have become a hindrance or dead weight by the time they reached the "window" in 2024-2025?
Entering 2020 (before COVID), the rotation was Sale, Eovaldi, Rodriguez, Perez, and ?? They were clearly in salary dump mode as they traded Price and Betts just before spring training began. Adding another high end "frontline" starter was not on the agenda.
Entering 2021, the rotation assembled was Eovaldi, Rodriguez, Pivetta, Perez, Richards with Sale en route and Houck in the wings. The top 10 free agents that changed teams that winter, in order of total salary committed: Trevor Bauer, Jake Odorizzi, Taijuan Walker, Mike Minor, Charlie Morton, Corey Kluber, Drew Smyly, Richards, James Paxton, JA Happ.
Entering 2022, the rotation assembled was Eovaldi, Pivetta, Houck, Wacha, Hill with Sale and Whitlock (returned 4/23) on the IL to start the year. The top 10 free agents that changed teams that winter, in order of total salary committed: Max Scherzer, Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, ERod, Marcus Stroman, Jon Gray, Carlos Rodon, Steven Matz, Yusei Kikuchi, Noah Syndergaard.
We've covered the 2023 free agent market upthread so I won't repeat it.
With a farm system that we've all agreed was pretty bare, the notion of trading for this frontline starter, especially earlier on in the period in question, is kinda laughable. They weren't making a Kopech and Moncada for Sale kind of move because they didn't have a Kopech or Moncada type to trade. So who is this top end starter that Bloom failed to prioritize? And I don't really make this argument in defense of Bloom specifically. I think the argument remains whoever the GM is. The market wasn't exactly teeming with clear choices that Bloom blew or ignored.