I know it's been rehashed in several capacity across different threads, but I don't know if it's ever been addressed directly. 2019-20 (Betts/Price trade, Dombo fired, Bloom hired) was the start of a complete tear-down of the mid-2010s core. Would the franchise have been in better off "keeping the band together," so to speak?
Here's a quick timeline:
- 2015 - 78-84 record. Last place. Dombrowski hired in August.
- 2016 - 93-69 record. First place. First year of the Price contract. Swept in the ALDS by Cleveland.
- 2017 - 93-69 record. First place finish again. Sale trade. Lost 3-1 to Houston in the ALDS.
- 2018 - 108-54 record. First place. First year of Cora. First year of JD. Won the WS.
- 2019 - 84-78 record. 3rd place. Regression from 2018. No where near the depths of 14/15 (or 22 so far).
This is where the Sox took a sharp turn. Dombrowski was fired in September. Bloom was brought in at the end of October. Betts/Price trade happened in February, signifying the beginning of the end of that core.
- 2020 - 24-36. Last place. COVID season. Cora suspended. Erod/Sale out for the season.
- 2021 - 92-70. Second place. Lost 4-2 to Houston in the ALCS.
- 2022 - 10-19. Last place in the division, worst record in the AL.
I think Bloom has another year or two of rope left (especially given COVID restrictions in 2020) but if the Sox have another 2020-like finish, I can't see Henry & Co. keeping him around much longer after that. As great as the Henry era has been, one of the things they haven't done well at is being patient. They've made some really rash, emotional decisions resulting from short-term problems. Bloom's process (like the Dodgers and the Yankees) requires patience. Does Henry have the stomach for a few years of bad press, empty seats, and pissed-off fans? Do we?
The farm, while much improved, is still middle of the pack. Another member of the 2018 core (Beni) is gone, with two more (X and Devers) potentially on their way out also. The major league team is abysmal, mostly because of underperformance, but Bloom left quite a few holes on the roster that don't need to be there. Signing a RF better than JBJ was a no-brainer, especially because we don't have anyone knocking at the door. Same with the bullpen, first base insurance, the lack of impact players on the bench. I understand that he's not trying to making long-term commitments on a team in transition (save Story), but I don't think Dombrowski would have left those holes on the major league roster (albeit at the expense of the farm system).
2019 was a turning point. Was that team capable of rebounding? Was firing Dombrowski the wrong move?