Chaim Bloom wants to make a trade. What chief decision-maker doesn't?
This was a reality reinforced but the Red Sox' boss when appearing on the Greg Hill Show a week ago.
“It wouldn’t be my preference (to be inactive) because you always want to make deals because it means you found something to improve your organization,” said Bloom. “Trades are one way to do that.
He added, “Obviously it takes two to tango, and it has to make sense. That’s certainly a possibility we don’t end up doing anything, but if that happens, it will be because we had just as much conversation as if we were to make 10 different deals, we just didn’t find anything that we thought fit.”
Fair enough.
But the Red Sox' lot in life is a complicated one. More complicated than most people care to admit.
There are two path-of-least-resistance narratives when it comes to this team. The first one screams, "Go for it!" You have one of baseball's best records, so obviously the trade deadline is the time to punctuate your existence. No. 2 involves the idea that Bloom has to play for the long haul, not getting too caught up in the present while still prioritizing the future.
Sorry, but it's not as simple as either would suggest.
The majority of Red Sox followers would probably believe that, despite this current team's success, Bloom will be semi-cautious at the deadline. Rentals need not apply.
And sources throughout baseball do believe the Red Sox have been prioritizing players in return who have control at least through 2022. That makes sense.
But there are a few issues to consider.
First, in order to pry away useful players with control it's going to cost you more in the way of the last thing Bloom wants to give up, prospects. And, second, is the piece of the puzzle that complicates the situation above and beyond all else ...
It's one thing to slowly add to this team around the existing established stars (which Bloom has expertly managed, to date). But it's something else to find a new foundation by the end of next season, because that's exactly what the Red Sox might be looking at.
These are the players who could very well be putting Boston in their rearview mirror by the time 2023 rolls around: Xander Bogaerts (opt-out), Chris Sale (opt-out), Nathan Eovaldi (free agent), J.D. Martinez (free agent), Christian Vazquez (free agent), Eduardo Rodriguez (free agent), Matt Barnes (free agent). Oh, and Rafael Devers will be eligible for free agency after that '23 campaign.
There are potential replacements on the horizon. Garrett Whitlock will undoubtedly be sliding into the starting rotation. Jarren Duran and Triston Casas figure to be big leaguers. And there are some other youngsters who could be introducing themselves to the major leagues.
Still, prospects are prospects. Bogaerts, Martinez, Devers, etc. are the kind of knowns that make on-the-edges construction work.
The lesson here is that this window, the one that some might not want to prioritize like previous postseason runs, might be smaller (and certainly murkier) then some are hoping for.
In other words, finding this spot this spot in the standings won't be a turn-key proposition going forward, so perhaps it's worth getting a little more Dombrowski-esque than anticipated. Or maybe the combination of believing the next foundation is playing for Greenville, Salem, Portland or Worcester - along with an impactful free agent signing here and there - will be good enough.
Bloom nailed last season's trade deadline. They were bad. They weren't going anywhere. They had impending free agents. They got useful, young players in return. It was a big, wide, straight road to 2021. This time? Welcome to the trade deadline tightrope.