Buying and selling at the same time? Didn't that same indecision just get Bloom fired?
I dont think indecision got him fired. We'll never know, but I think it was his mis-evaluation of the quality of the major league club at the deadline two years running; combined with holding out for too much of a return for the likes of Sale and Verdugo (*if* the reports are true). Doing little or nothing is a decision.
Right, we'll never know. I feel like all of it played a role, as well as bad timing.
Take the decision to let Schwarber walk for 4 years/$80M after 2021. Okay, fine, you don't want to lock up a DH-only bat, I hated it at the time but I understood it with a year of JDM left. But then JDM left, and Bloom needed another bat... so he gave an even longer deal (5 years/$90M) to Yoshida to be an inferior basically DH-only bat. Was that bad evaluation? Bad timing? Indecision?
Same with the trade deadlines. He made some good deals, to be sure (trading for Schwarber, trading Workman/Hembree for Pivetta, and dealing Vazquez for Abreu/Valdez) but in both 2022 & 2023 oversaw Red Sox teams that were treading water in July, hamstringing his ability (and probably ownership's as well) to decide whether to "sell" or "buy" (if we're using those terms).
I'll never know how to properly evaluate the Bloom tenure.
Back to the topic at hand:
I looked at that list earlier, and I'd be happy with an Eovaldi reunion. He needs another 90 innings for next year to vest at $20 million, otherwise a $2 million payout.
Interesting one, although with Scherzer and Degrom on their way back it's hard for me to see the Rangers selling.
I think we (mostly) all agree the team needs another starting pitcher. I'm wondering who else is available. Bleacher Report articles are usually a little click baity, but this is a pretty good summary:
View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10125163-ranking-garrett-crochet-and-top-10-starting-pitchers-on-the-summer-mlb-trade-market
10. RHP Trevor Williams, Washington Nationals
9. RHP Frankie Montas, Cincinnati Reds
8. RHP Cal Quantrill, Colorado Rockies
7. LHP Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels
6. RHP Luis Severino, New York Mets
5. LHP Yusei Kikuchi, Toronto Blue Jays
4. RHP Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers
3. RHP Erick Fedde, Chicago White Sox
2. LHP Jesús Luzardo, Miami Marlins
1. LHP Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox
Luzardo's injury makes him murkier.
Anderson would be a needed LHP but he'd cost $13M next year and his terrible FIP suggests he's getting lucky this year: 14 GS, 6-6, 2.58 ERA (4.69 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, 38 BB, 58 K, 87.1 IP,
3.6 WAR
Fedde as noted earlier in the thread is an interesting one: since returning from Korea, this year he's got 15 GS, 5-1, 3.09 ERA (3.45 FIP), 1.17 WHIP, 23 BB, 83 K, 87.1 IP,
3.4 WAR, and would only cost $7.5M for 2025.