With the shortened 2020 season quickly approaching, business has been anything but usual for Major League Baseball teams. And it has impacted the way clubs are looking at moving or acquiring players.
But while the Red Sox’s main priority has been making sure playing baseball is safe for everyone involved, they’re paying attention to the trade block, according to Boston’s chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.
“One of the things that has made (this season) unique is that so much of our focus — and I think not just the Red Sox but all 30 clubs in this industry — has been on making sure we are up and running and ready to roll in a safe and comfortable environment given that we’re playing in the midst of the pandemic,” Bloom said in a Zoom conference Friday, via MassLive’s Chris Smith. “So that’s been our top priority, and I think it’s been the top priority for really all 30 clubs. And that has meant we haven’t had the normal late spring trade conversations that I think you would usually see at this time, a week out from Opening Day.
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“With all that said, we’ve tried to maintain as much of a focus on baseball and on transactions as we possibly can. We still have a responsibility to do our jobs in that regard. There’s just a lot more considerations that come with it. So we’ve had those conversations. We’ve tried to stay active. … I don’t want to handicap the likelihood that anything will happen. We’re always looking to improve anywhere we can. So there’s so many forms that could take if there is an opportunity. But it’s really hard to handicap, especially because of how unique this period has been.”
Bloom admitted that the Red Sox’s starting rotation situation is “definitely more unsettled” than they’d like it to be, but as badly as some teams could afford to add to its roster, the logistics around trading a player, or trading for a player, have become much more difficult — especially with players traveling from one market to another on a commercial flight, or having to live in a hotel during the abbreviated season.
Bloom said all these factors are being taken into consideration, but doesn’t necessarily make them hesitant to make a move.
“It is a real consideration,” Bloom said, per Smith. “I wouldn’t say hesitant is the word. But I do think it’s something that you have to factor in. I think these are things we always factor in. Any time you do anything you always have to have some consideration for the person and what you’re putting them through recognizing this is a business and everybody knows within that what could happen.”
The Red Sox kick off their 2020 schedule Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.
