Chaim Bloom was sacked as the Boston Red Sox’s chief baseball officer on Thursday following four inconsistent seasons that included two last-place finishes and a 2023 season that was practically destined to end without a playoff appearance.
A year after they won their fourth World Series in 15 years, Bloom, 40, signed on with the team after the Red Sox fired general manager Dave Dombrowski in September 2019. The contrast of the swashbuckling Dombrowski, he brought small-market success to Tampa Bay by being meticulous, patient, and willing to rebuild a farm system while still thriving in the major leagues.
But shortly after moving in, Bloom dealt star outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, despite ownership stressing financial flexibility. Boston sandwiched last-place seasons around a 2021 season in which it forced Houston to play six games in the ALCS, casting a shadow over his whole tenure. Before playing the New York Yankees in a doubleheader on Thursday, the Red Sox, who were just outside of the wild-card picture only last week, had dropped six of their previous seven games.
Multiple organization officials were shocked by the termination because they thought that despite the Red Sox’s lack of big league success, their future was bright and that they had enough of money to invest because to their greatly improved farm system.
Bloom “set the stage for the future,” according to owner John Henry in a statement, but that wasn’t enough to keep him employed.
“The decision was not made lightly or easily,” team president and CEO Sam Kennedy read from a prepared statement before his news conference. “We all know where we are in the standings. It’s a painful reality that fans feel as deeply as we do. Our fans deserve a winning, competitive team that consistently plays postseason baseball.”
The Red Sox have won four World Series titles since 2004, the most of any team this century, after going 86 years without one.
Theo Epstein (2004, ’07), Ben Cherington (’13), and Dave Dombrowski (’18) served as the organization’s three baseball executives throughout that time, while the franchise also endured a roller coaster that saw it finish last in the AL East five times since 2012.
“I think we’ve always been consistent, trying to build, build that farm system, but win at the major league level has always been a priority,” Kennedy said. “Obviously, the past two seasons we haven’t been there and the change was made.”
The Red Sox were 267-262 under Bloom heading into Thursday’s doubleheader against the Yankees, including a trip to the ALCS in 2021.
“It’s hard to say it’s not related to results because that’s what this is all about,” Kennedy said. “We’re aiming for World Series championships. That’s it. That’s the aim, that’s the goal. We’re here to win World Series championships. While we’re here, we’re not going to waste this opportunity. That’s what the Boston Red Sox are all about.”
Kennedy claimed that he, Chairman Tom Werner, and Henry all notified Bloom of the choice on Thursday morning.
The team reported that Brian O’Halloran, general manager, “has been offered a new senior leadership position within the baseball operations department.”
Along with associate general managers Eddie Romero, Raquel Ferreira, and Michael Groopman, O’Halloran will oversee the division in the meantime.
