I voted 20% - I think there was a plan, and it didn’t work. I have in no way lost faith in FSG however.
They have brought me (and I assume many others) literally 400% more joy in sports than I ever thought possible back in 2003. They’ve also done it with 4 different leaders of the front office (Theo, Cherington, Dombrowski and Bloom). They’ve also won in 3 wildly different ways. 2004 and 2007 were very similar in terms of the core (Ortiz, Manny, Varitek, Schilling, Youkilis and having another “ace” paired with Schilling, in the man with the literal right arm of God and then Josh Beckett.) 2013 had Ortiz - obviously a huge carry over, Pedroia and a veteran Lester but was a much different approach than the prior titles. 2018 had Bogaerts from the 2013 team, and I think that may literally have been all, at least off the top of my head.
I also don’t think of their ”changing course” as a bad thing the way some frame it as. They may have an idea in mind, and when it fails they change it - they haven‘t let it ruin the franchise. 2003-2009:was an incredible run. We all remember the wild pendulum swing from early 2011 to the end of that year to the Bobby V debacle to the borderline miracle that was 2013. 2018 was a wagon all year, and I think the 2nd “best” of the four title teams (a team could literally go 162-0, not lose a game on the way to a title and I’d STILL put them behind 2004, what can I say) and had almost nothing in common with the previous three.
Dombrowski couldn’t be more different than Cherington, Bloom couldn’t be more different than Dombrowski. But the point is that FSG has in the past recently “drastically changed course” with front office leaders far more tenured (and successful) than Bloom.
I was very excited when Bloom was hired, I thought he would be a continuation of Theo and Cherington - I bet FSG did too - and he hasn’t been. At least to this point.
Do I think Bloom is smart enough to change his plan (because this one is not working, at least assuming the goal is being a sustained winner), yes, I actually do. There are a lot of things they could do through the rest of this off season to make me believe the current front office is capable of changing course. Heck, he could just make under the radar moves and have them all work out. I find it unlikely because even the 2021 team had a core this one will not (Bogaerts, Martinez, Eovaldi, Vazquez), so I think a drastic overhaul is more necessary than it was even two years ago.
Luckily I also believe that if we go into a year with as terrible a pitching staff as we had last year, an offense that looks as putrid as this one presently does and have not re-signed Devers, FSG will make drastic changes and they’ll do it before the trade deadline if the season goes as poorly as one would expect based on anything approaching the present roster being the finished product heading into Spring Training.
They have in the past, I think they will here too, and that is - in my opinion - a sign (not an indictment) of good, strong leadership. That is why I have no faith in the current plan, but I have a ton of faith that either a) the “front office” plan will change or more likely b) plenty of faith in ownership to bring in a ”front office” with a new plan. Very soon.
