Red Sox's Alex Cora Reportedly Was Not Supportive Of Chaim Bloom Prior To Firing

Boston could use some continuity in leadership

Scott Neville | Sep 27, 2023

Red Sox's Alex Cora Reportedly Was Not Supportive Of Chaim Bloom Prior To Firing /

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Boston Red Sox

For years fans and media alike have speculated that former Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and manager Alex Cora did not see eye-to-eye.

A recent report has added fuel to the fire but should come as no surprise.

"Bloom, acting on ownership’s apparent preference, chose to bring back Cora after the manager’s one-year suspension for his involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote Wednesday. "On the surface, the two seemed to co-exist professionally. But friends of Bloom, who spoke on condition of anonymity in exchange for their candor, believe Cora was not as supportive of Bloom as he could have been."

While this report sheds Cora in somewhat of a bad light, he had every right to be upset. Cora was in charge of competing at the big-league level while Bloom's focus was on development and the future. The former understood that winning was the only way to keep their jobs. The former was so focused on the big picture that he was run out of town before he could get there.

Cora got middling teams into the American League Wild Card discussion two seasons in a row at the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline and was given no help both times due to Bloom's hesitancy to go for it.

Bloom needed to replenish the farm system. But, he also could have done more to appease his teammate, Cora, and his clubhouse. There was a human element to running an organization that Bloom appears to be missing. Both deadline blunders led to players openly discussing their displeasure to the media.

Ideally, the next general manager -- or whatever made-up title the head of the front office assumes next -- can do a better job of balancing the present and the future. That leader can thank Bloom for being in a stronger position to do so than his predecessor came into.

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Published Sep 27, 2023

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