Boston Red Sox: Chaim Bloom for Executive of the Year

If the 2020 major league season is canceled, Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom deserves to win the Executive of the Year award.

As we entered March, the Boston Red Sox appeared to have punted on the 2020 season. Mookie Betts and half of David Price‘s contract was sent to the Dodgers twice, with the Red Sox eventually coming away with Alex Verdugo and prospects Jeter Downs and Connor Wong. Chris Sale‘s elbow began acting up again, eventually needing Tommy John surgery. With virtually nothing done during free agency, it seemed this was going to be a long year for the Red Sox.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic made its presence felt stateside. While there had been some cases, the pandemic exploded in March, forcing Major League Baseball to shut down spring training and suspend the regular season indefinitely.

However, there is one fun quirk to the postponed season. Should 2020 be canceled altogether, players will accumulate one more year towards free agency. That would mean that the Red Sox traded Betts to the Dodgers for a top 100 prospect, an intriguing catching prospect, and a young outfielder without Los Angeles really getting anything in return. Sale, likewise, would miss part of the following season, but would not be forced to sit out 2020.

In just two months, the Red Sox offseason looks much better. Suddenly, Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom has gone from being mocked for his trade that was not a trade that ended up being revised. Sale waiting on having surgery was another disaster, but one that seems brilliant in retrospect, as he may not miss much time.

Likewise, the Red Sox were content to slide under the luxury tax threshold, doing almost nothing in free agency. Jose Peraza, Martin Perez, Kevin Pillar, and Collin McHugh are not the type of players that really move the needle. They were all signed to one year deals, with Boston content to just plug the holes in the roster while they reset.

Now, imagine that the 2020 season does not get played. None of those contracts matter because they were just one year deals. The Red Sox will still have six years of control over Wong and Downs, while saving themselves another $16 million on Price’s salary. Betts would be a free agent, while the Red Sox would have Verdugo for four more years. Suddenly, Bloom’s moves were brilliant.

If the 2020 MLB season is not played, they should hand out the Executive of the Year award regardless. And Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom would deserve the hardware.