Red Sox fire chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom: 'Today signals a new direction for our club'
The MLB offseason is just a few weeks away, but one team is already making a major change. The Boston Red Sox have fired chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, the team announced Thursday in a statement posted on their website.
“While parting ways is not taken lightly, today signals a new direction for our club,” said principal owner John Henry. “Our organization has significant expectations on the field and while Chaim’s efforts in revitalizing our baseball infrastructure have helped set the stage for the future, we will today begin a search for new leadership. Everyone who knows Chaim has a deep appreciation and respect for the kind of person he is. His time with us will always be marked by his professionalism, integrity, and an unwavering respect for our club and its legacy.”
Bloom, 40, was hired in October 2019 to replace future Hall of Fame general manager Dave Dombrowski, who has since become the president of baseball operations for the Philadelphia Phillies. Prior to leading Boston's front office, Bloom spent 15 years with the Tampa Bay Rays, first as an intern and later as their top executive. He and former GM Andrew Friedman (now the president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers) turned the Rays from perennial losers into the smart, forward-thinking team it is today, fielding competitive squads with one of baseball's lowest payrolls.
That was Bloom's reputation coming into Boston, but it never really translated. In four seasons under Bloom's leadership, the Red Sox made the playoffs once, losing in the 2021 AL Championship Series to the Houston Astros. They finished fourth or fifth in the AL East in Bloom's three other seasons in Boston. Also in that time, they said goodbye to homegrown players Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts.
In 2023, the Red Sox are 73-72, tied for last in the AL East with the New York Yankees and 18 games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles. They are also 7.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final AL wild-card spot.
