Chaim Bloom is settling into his new role as the St. Louis Cardinals’ president of baseball operations ahead of a busy offseason. However, the 42-year-old baseball executive will also be remembered as a central figure in an infamous chapter of Red Sox history.
Appointed as Dave Dombrowski’s successor as Boston’s chief baseball officer in October 2019, one of Bloom’s first orders of business with the Red Sox was to determine the future of franchise star Mookie Betts. Unable to come to terms on a long-term extension with Betts, Bloom and the Red Sox ultimately traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020. The trade also included David Price going to the Dodgers, with Boston receiving Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong in return.
The move proved disastrous for Boston. Betts went on to win three World Series titles, earn four All-Star selections, and secure several top-five finishes for the National League MVP over his six seasons with the Dodgers. Among the players Boston received, only Connor Wong remains on the Red Sox roster as a backup catcher. Alex Verdugo was eventually traded to the New York Yankees after the 2023 season. Jeter Downs appeared in just 14 career games with Boston and last played in MLB in 2023.
Speaking to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, Bloom expressed that his stance on trading Betts has not changed despite Betts’ incredible success with the Dodgers.
“It’s never fun to take a player of that caliber in the prime of his career that I had seen right in my face as an opponent for so many years with the Rays, then be on the same side as him very briefly and end up moving him,” Bloom said. “Obviously, there was a bigger picture than that deal. That deal wasn’t about the valuation of the talent. It was just about where the organization was.”
Bloom was eventually fired in September 2023 after the Red Sox posted a combined 267-262 record during his four seasons and made only one postseason appearance. Still, Bloom maintains an affinity for Boston, especially with several players drafted under his tenure—such as Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Connelly Early—emerging as key pieces for the Red Sox in 2025 and beyond.
“It’s cool to see them, in a lot of cases, start turning into and in other cases, continuing to be the players we thought they could be,” Bloom said. “Even in just four years in that organization, I developed a lot of really strong relationships and friends for life. Some people that I care about that I was really happy to see enjoy pieces of that success.
“I’m proud of a lot of the things we did in Boston. It has been exciting from afar to see that work come to fruition. Bigger things continue to be ahead for that franchise.”
https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2025/11/12/chaim-bloom-boston-red-sox-mookie-betts-mlb-baseball/
