Alex Cora Believes 2021 Red Sox Were Close To Success For Chaim Bloom

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox qualified for the postseason once during the four-year tenure of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.

That October, however, was one to remember as the Red Sox rode a wild-card berth and advanced to the American League Championship Series. Boston lost in six games to the Houston Astros, finishing two wins shy of a trip to the World Series.

Bloom added key contributors to that team such as Kyle Schwarber, Garrett Whitlock and Kiké Hernández. In his second year with the club, the Red Sox ignited a run that offered what Bloom's vision looked like at its peak.

On Thursday, Alex Cora reflected on how that ballclub could have carried on the run after Bloom and the Red Sox parted ways.

"We were very close to making it happen," Cora told reporters at Fenway Park. "One of the things I really enjoyed was him enjoying that. I know '20 was very difficult for him with everything that happened. With the pandemic in 2021, it was a weird season in the beginning. Little by little, Fenway was back and he really enjoyed that. That's something we always talked about."

Cora felt that the Red Sox were still pushing Bloom's vision to win throughout 2023 despite not always seeing the winning results.

"I believe we were doing everything possible to win," Cora added. "It was just one of those that we were in a spot where we're thinking about the present and thinking about the future. That's not easy to do."

The Red Sox will enter the 2024 season with decisions to make in the offseason in an attempt to break what could end up being a two-year playoff drought.