It’s hard to predict what the Boston Red Sox will do exactly before the Aug. 31 deadline. Major League Baseball, because internal and external developments can ultimately affect what deals are available.
That said, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom would rather be active over the next few weeks as Boston navigates a disappointing 2020 season with an eye toward a bright future.
“I think no matter where our record stood, it would always be in a vacuum, our preference to be active,” Bloom told reporters Wednesday during a video conference. ‘Because if you are, it means you have opportunities to upgrade your organization and advance your goals. And you are always looking for those opportunities, in my opinion, no matter where you stand.
“There are also many factors this year with the deadline for trading that are different. We need to think about those factors. But within that – and making sure we pay attention to everything that comes with this unique season – we want to try to be active when we can find things that we think are positive for the organization. “
The Red Sox cut a losing streak of nine games on Wednesday with a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park. However, Boston has one of the worst records in the league and will likely look to sell pieces by the deadline in hopes of getting assets that will help the club on the road.
“You have to keep the big picture in mind.”
Chaim Bloom, on the Red Sox’s trade deadline approach
Does that mean Bloom expects Boston to force a World Series title in 2021? Of 2022? Of 2023?
So, the answer to that question is complicated, of course, but sure, some decisions made both now and this coming offseason will go a long way toward determining when the Red Sox are best able to can for another championship banner.
“I don’t think it’s wise for us to set schedules on these things,” Bloom said of the reconstruction. “I think if we do the right things, sometimes times can speed up. It is difficult to predict that. A lot of the time, when you start to get fun and try to sync those things and think you can predict the schedule exactly, then you end up doing things that contradict what your goals were in the first place.
‘You have to keep the big picture in mind. If that is behind everything we do, we would find that things come together faster than people would expect. I would not try to set up a schedule. I think we need to make sure that we consider our options and possible moves in the light of what we are generally trying to achieve. ‘
In other words, just because the Red Sox have wrestled to this point, does not mean they will be sitting on their hands with the tight trading deadline.
The next few weeks are important for both buyers en sellers, with Boston likely to fall into the latter category and yet still highly motivated to make moves.
