Chaim Bloom did an interview with Chad Jennings of the Athletic on the state of the offseason moving forward. Here are some snippets.
https://theathletic.com/3995441/2022/12/12/chaim-bloom-shifting-focus-trades/?source=emp_shared_article
--He thinks the trade market could be heating up.
"After losing out on their top free agent target, the
Red Sox have shifted their offseason focus to the trade front.
“I actually think the trade market could be a really good route to adding impact to our club,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told
The Athletic on Monday. “We are looking (into) a lot of significant moves there as long as we can do it in a way that isn’t just robbing Peter to pay Paul, that’s actually moving us forward in 2023 and giving us a chance to make a significant step forward from where we sit today.”
--Free agency is still a viable option.
"Bloom said free agency is still in play — the Red Sox, it seems, have quite a bit of money to spend — but the organization is ready to make a trade if and when that market becomes more reasonable."
--Sounds like they are taking the biggest prospects i.e. Casas/Bello/Mayer off the table, but everyone else is in play for the right move.
“I think there are deals we could make — especially if they involve young major league players — that might capture a headline but might not necessarily make you better,” Bloom said. “They might just add in one place and subtract in another. As I’ve said all along since getting here, we value being a consistent contender, and so guys that are in the pipeline are going to be a part of that in the years ahead, but what happens now matters. And for the right impact, absolutely we would be willing to, and really look to, use that stockpile of prospects." One interpretation: Just don’t ask for
Triston Casas or
Brayan Bello.
Jennings notes that the Red Sox were in play for Sean Murphy, but Bloom did not reportedly want to give up young major league players.
"Murphy was among the most notable names generating trade speculation this offseason, and his trade on Monday might have nudged open the floodgates. The Red Sox had been linked to Murphy in recent weeks, but the A’s asking price was believed to include some of the major league players Bloom is hesitant to deal."
Bloom says he is open to doing shorter term deals for high AAV. Maybe that puts them in play for Correa, Rodon, or Swanson.
"The Red Sox’s unwillingness to commit 11 years to Bogaerts suggests they’re unlikely to meet the asking price for remaining shortstops Carlos Correa or Dansby Swanson either, but Bloom said he would be open to shorter-term deal at a higher annual value like the one Correa signed last winter.
“I certainly would not take that off the table,” he said. “I don’t want to and shouldn’t get too specific on what we would or wouldn’t consider with any free agent. I don’t think it’s appropriate, but I definitely would not take that scenario off the table.”
--Bloom says they are still committed to signing Rafael Devers to an extension.
"Meanwhile, in the wake of Bogaerts’ departure, Bloom said the Red Sox remain committed to signing
Rafael Devers to a long-term extension, and the loss of Bogaerts “only intensified” the organization’s desire to reach a deal.
“We have been and will continue to go to great lengths to make that happen,” he said.
Is there concern that losing Bogaerts makes it more difficult to extend Devers?
“I am certain that he was not happy to see Xander Bogaerts leave his team,” Bloom said. “But, I also know that he likes playing here, and at the end of the day, I don’t think any player is blind to the nature of this business. … When it comes to guys’ contractual situations, I think they have this hard-fought, hard-earned right to think about themselves and their families. I don’t know that there’s a player out there who doesn’t take that seriously when that time comes.”