In Chaim We Trust…Right?
Chaim Bloom has been getting crucified so far this offseason basically for the only reason of trading Mookie, which anyone who would have to have done if they took the job. I get it we are the Red Sox, and we want to win the World Series every year, but that’s simply not possible. Thanks to Dave Dombrowski and the rest of the ownership group, we have no farm system, so we need to do a little bit of a rebuild here. That being said, Bloom is doing a hell of a job so far!
Additions
Adam Ottavino: This dude is nasty. Plain and simple, and all we had to give up for him was to take on his 9 mill dollars salary (another steal) and a player to be named later. Also, we got another pitching prospect, Frank German. According to Jarred Carrabis, German throws in the high 90’s with a nasty slider. Ottavino has 1 year left on his deal, and id expect if we are out of contention at the deadline, we will trade Otto to a contender for more prospects. What id like to see them do, though, is lock him up for a multi-year deal and be our closer for the next couple of seasons and see where it takes us. Our bullpen is still a dumpster fire, but we know we know have at least 1 competent arm in there.
Garrett Richards: Richards is a career 3.62 ERA with a W-L record of 47-41 over 9 years in the bigs. The downside with Richards is he has battled a few injuries over his career that have really derailed him. When healthy tho, he is a legit arm that helps solidify our rotation. If he stays healthy, and when we get Sale back, our rotation will be in good shape.
Kikè Hernandez: Although Hernandez was used as a super-utility player for the Dodgers, playing almost everywhere except catcher, he will be our second basemen. This is just another addition to the great signings for Bloom. Kike will be a solid addition to the roster and help fill a void that was a huge issue the last couple of seasons. This will be the first real season that he will be an everyday starter, and it will be exciting to see how he answers the call. Hernandez plays with a ton of energy, and I think the fans of Boston will love this guy immediately.
Moves NOT To Make
Marcell Ozuna: Listen, id love to see this guy hitting moonshots onto the mass pike. It just doesn’t make sense for the Sox to do it at this point. By signing him, you pretty much solidify that he or JD are taking over left field duties. I love both of these guys, but man, they are absolute liabilities in the field. Maybe they attempt to convert one of them to a first baseman? I don’t think it’s a possibility or worth it.
Jackie Bradley Jr.: I want 0 to do with him. Period. End of story. The guy is a fantastic outfielder, not taking that away from him. He just can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. I agree that defense is a major factor in the game, but id definitely sacrifice a little defense for a guy who can hit a baseball. The other thing that bugs me about JBJ is for how fast he is; he is an atrocious baserunner. The guy literally looks like he has never run the bases before in his life. It is unbelievable, and all this guy brings to the table on the field is defense. Thanks for the memories, but don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Conclusion
Bloom has been doing a fantastic job so far. Give him the credit he deserves. All the moves he is making are ones that are improving weaknesses on the team. Yes, there have been no real “flashy” moves, but that’s all thanks to Dombrowski and the ownership group dealing Bloom a shit hand. Give credit where credit is due! Keep up the good work, Bloom. You have my support.
-Kevin Perdios (@Perdios95 on Twitter)