Chaim Bloom reflects on Red Sox tenure, firing and Mookie Betts trade as he takes over Cardinals

3 hours ago7 min read2 comments

LAS VEGAS — So picture this: Chaim Bloom, three autumns removed from calling the shots, is back in the big chair, this time running the St. Louis Cardinals after that somewhat shocking firing from the Boston Red Sox back in September 2023.It’s like watching a coach get a second chance with a rival team, and you can’t help but lean in for the drama. At 42, Bloom is here at the GM meetings in Vegas, a different guy from the one who took over the Red Sox six years ago, armed with the hard-won knowledge from a tenure in Boston that was, to put it mildly, a rollercoaster.His four years with the Sox ended with an email announcement during a meaningless doubleheader against the Yankees—a move that felt as cold as a Boston winter and, by all accounts, caught him completely off guard. When asked if the firing was fair, Bloom didn’t take the bait.'No one ever promised that this game is going to be fair,' he said, channeling a bit of that 'A League of Their Own' wisdom—it’s supposed to be hard, which is why the wins feel so damn good. That philosophical shrug says a lot about a guy who had to make one of the most franchise-altering moves in recent memory: trading Mookie Betts.Let’s be real, that deal will forever be the asterisk on his Boston report card. Driven by ownership’s desire to slash payroll and the frustration of not locking Betts down long-term, Bloom pulled the trigger, sending Betts and David Price to the Dodgers for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong.In the years since, Betts has stacked three World Series rings and multiple All-Star nods, while the return for Boston never quite panned out into star power. The Dodgers have won more World Series in that span than the Red Sox have even won postseason series—a stat that stings every time you see Betts doing his thing in LA.Bloom stands by the bigger picture, insisting it wasn’t about talent valuation but where the organization was at the time, though you can tell it still weighs on him. 'It’s never fun to take a player of that caliber in the prime of his career,' he admitted, recalling his time facing Betts with the Rays before briefly being on his side.Post-firing, Bloom kept a low profile, sticking around Boston for family reasons, a move that speaks volumes about his connection to the city despite the messy exit. He joined the Cardinals as an advisor in 2024, a stealthy buildup to taking over for John Mozeliak, who’d been at the helm since 2007.Now, as he preps to relocate to St. Louis, Bloom reflects on his Boston chapter with a mix of pride and what-ifs.He points to the alignment and accountability he learned to insist on—the need to get everyone on the same page, a lesson hard-earned amid mixed messaging from ownership and friction with manager Alex Cora. The 2021 run to the ALCS, just two wins from the World Series, showed flashes of that potential, but back-to-back 78-win seasons in '22 and '23 sealed his fate.Yet, from afar, he’s watched players he brought in—like draft picks Roman Anthony and trade acquisitions Wilyer Abreu—fuel Boston’s 2025 postseason return, a quiet vindication. 'I’m proud of a lot of the things we did in Boston,' Bloom said, his tone nostalgic but forward-looking.He loved the challenge, even if the ending wasn’t perfect, and now he’s got a fresh canvas with the Cardinals. It’s the ultimate sports comeback story—a exec with scars, wiser and ready to prove himself again.

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