The Red Sox, fresh off a last-place finish in 2020, exceeded expectations this season, falling just two wins short of reaching the World Series and six wins shy of winning Major League Baseball’s ultimate prize.
So, now what?
Well, it’s back to work.
While the Red Sox made significant strides in 2021, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom recognizes an important offseason awaits as Boston looks to reach the next level in 2022 and beyond.
“In February, when I was asked about what my hopes (and) what my goals were for the season, I talked about how even if we went all the way and won the whole thing that I wanted to come out of it feeling really like this could be the start of something — like we had our next core, which would include players from the last championship and then players who were joining this core, being a part of something that we could be excited about going forward,” Bloom told reporters Monday during an end-of-season news conference. “We fell six wins short of that ultimate goal, but I think in terms of this being the start of something, in terms of us feeling like we have a bunch of guys who joined this group who are ready to help us win going forward, I think we’re there. I think the mission now is just to continue to build on that.
“What we had this year, what we had in Fenway Park, playing postseason baseball, meaningful games, getting almost all the way to the World Series, that’s the type of vibe we want here every year, to have a club capable of doing that every year. So I think we just need to be focused on making moves, large and small, that push us toward that goal. There’s obviously a lot of things that could fit into that, but that’s how we’re going to frame it. We want to carry this forward and win every year.”
The Red Sox are in a much better place than they were a year ago. Not only are they coming off a successful campaign in which they reached the American League Championship Series, before losing to the Houston Astros in six games. They also have a solid foundation in place.
Of course, this doesn’t guarantee future success. Boston still has roster shortcomings that’ll need to be addressed in the coming months. But one now must squint a little less to see the path to a title. Sweeping changes might not be necessary this offseason.
That said, there’s value in tweaking the roster. The difficulty lies in figuring out to what extent, so as to maintain a strong core while adding ancillary pieces that’ll boost the franchise’s championship chances.
“From my standpoint, even the past couple of years when we did have some turnover, I never felt like it was productive to have turnover for turnover’s sake,” Bloom said. “I think it should be about what gets us to having a championship caliber club on an annual basis. We will continue to look at the things that get us there. But by no means is it about there being some level of turnover that we want to achieve. It’s great to have continuity. But the ultimate goal is to have a club that can win this division and win a championship every year, and we need to look into everything that gets us there.”
Bloom’s stated goal since joining the Red Sox’s front office in October 2019 has been to construct a sustainable contender, an objective that requires Boston to balance the present and future when making transactions.
The Red Sox, now equipped with a sturdy big league core and an improving farm system, are on the right track in that regard. It’s all about remaining committed to the vision.
“We believe that what we should be doing, what our fans deserve, is a team that can always compete for a championship — now, next year, the year after that,” Bloom said. “That’s a really hard thing to do, and sometimes that involves balancing trade-offs. But I think more than trade-offs it just involves being aware of the whole picture and caring about it all and looking at every move through that lens.”
A lot has changed for the Red Sox in a relatively short period. Mostly for the better. But the grind continues, with this offseason being an opportunity for Boston to solidify itself near the top of the MLB mountain moving forward.
