How Red Sox’s Chaim Bloom Felt About Reaction To ‘Underdogs’ Comment

The Boston Red Sox received mixed reviews for their lack of splash moves at the Major League Baseball trade deadline, but it was one phrase chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom used that really caught everyone's attention.

Bloom reflected on Tuesday's deadline during his appearance with NESN's Tom Caron on this week's "TC & Company Podcast." He admitted it was a "really hard" decision to designate Christian Arroyo for assignment in favor of Luis Urías, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday and made his debut Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

After the trade deadline passed, Bloom believed Boston's status as "underdogs" played a role for it in potential negotiations. The term led to wide reactions in local media, and Caron asked Bloom if he was surprised to see the reaction to his comments.

"A little, I guess, because I didn't think I was making news," Bloom said. "Like I said, we're not in a playoff spot. So that is what it is. Obviously, we got a big series this weekend. We're gonna have to play better than Toronto the rest of the way to get ahead of (it). That shouldn't be news. I think I said this (Thursday) to Steve Perrault, I don't think any of the folks whose eyebrows were raised when I said that didn't pick us to make the playoffs in the first place. I certainly didn't think it'd be news to them.

"We're going to have to play well the rest of the way, but again, we believe we can. The crew believes that they can. The arrow's been pointing in the right direction. We've been picking up steam as the season's been going along. That's a good thing. But it's on us. We got to go do it."

The Red Sox are three games back in the American League wild-card race after Friday's loss, and that would put them in an underdog role down the stretch. The betting market doesn't have a strong view of Boston, so it's a status the Red Sox are aware of.

It's why players like Kenley Jansen are motivated to make a run. There certainly are multiple things that "could have happened" at the trade deadline, but Boston believes it has what it takes to make some noise during the final stretch of the season.

The Red Sox will get another chance to make some ground in the wild-card race Saturday against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. You can catch full coverage of the matchup at NESN starting with pregame at 3 p.m. ET.