Inside The Red Sox

Chaim Bloom's Plan Might Not Involve Nathan Eovaldi Or Any Frontline Starter

Boston seemingly has no interest in adding to the rotation
Scott Neville|
Chaim Bloom's Plan Might Not Involve Nathan Eovaldi Or Any Frontline Starter
Chaim Bloom's Plan Might Not Involve Nathan Eovaldi Or Any Frontline Starter

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have made little to no attempt in pursuit of an improved rotation this offseason, which appears to be part of the game plan.

The Red Sox rotation posted a 4.49 ERA last season, ranking No. 22 in Major League Baseball. They've since lost Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Wacha -- their two most productive pitchers -- to free agency.

The free-agent class boasted superstar pitchers such as Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Carlos Rodón and Chris Bassitt. Yet, the Red Sox didn't land any of them, and reportedly had no interest in the first place.

Some recent rumors have implied that Boston could be in on Rodón, but those reports are either based on false optimism or agents trying to use the Red Sox to drive up his price tag. 

Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Wacha still are available, but the only news with those two are reports of American League East rivals being interested. The New York Yankees reportedly are in on Eovaldi, while the Baltimore Orioles are looking into Wacha. 

Why would the Red Sox be so adamantly against adding to the rotation this winter when they have the money to spend and a strong class in play? 

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom appears willing to bank on the upside of a cast of intriguing young arms. 

Bloom appears to want to give the promising trio of Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck a shot to elevate to another level.

Boston can lock in veterans Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta and James Paxton to hold down the fort to a degree, though injuries are a prominent factor for both Sale and Paxton.

Instead of investing in the rotation to improve the roster, Boston appears to have chosen to convert their best arms into starters and spent their money on relievers such as Joely Rodriguez, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen.

It's a roundabout way of getting things done, but the upside play could work out and spawn anywhere from one to three budding stars... or it could lead to a complete disaster, possibly even worse than last season.

In a year where expectations are at an all-time low and the face of the franchise now resides in San Diego, it might be a good time to see what Boston can get out of three young pitchers with incredibly high upsides. 

Based on all of Bloom's comments, it sounds as if he'd be willing to adjust his game plan should a notable starter become available for the right price, but he's been consistently unwilling to pay free agents their worth and we've yet to see him swing a trade for a star player. 

If he does make a notable move, it appears more likely it would be for a right-handed hitter anyway.

For now, it sounds like Bloom and company are going to heavily rely on a young, unproven core of starters and the health of Sale... what could go wrong?

More MLB: Yankees Sign Ex-Red Sox Hurler To Bolster Pitching Depth For 2023 Season

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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