When baseball's lockout began on Dec. 2, it meant we were in for a very different -- and very quiet -- offseason. Instead of occupying themselves with trades, free-agent signings and arbitration hearings, baseball executives had to find other things to do.
We spoke with Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom this week to talk about what he's been up to, and what he sees ahead. What follows is Bloom's first extended interview since the lockout began.
BSJ: This is the first work stoppage you've endured as an executive. What has this experience been like for you?
Chaim Bloom: It's certainly been unusual. It seems almost as if since I got here in Boston, plenty of unusual things have been happening. So I guess I'm becoming accustomed to things being not quite normal, but there's no doubt, this is an unusual time.
BSJ: Given you've been quite limited in what you can and can't do, how have you spent the last two and a half months?
CB: There are obviously some things that are on hold. But there's also been plenty for us to do. This period is bringing things to the forefront that are always a part of what we do and we can focus more intently. And they're really important. Our game is really competitive now. Organizations are getting more and more ambitious with what they do behind the scenes, in order to win. Our goal is to be great every year and to be able to contend for championships on an annual basis and if we want that, we need to act like it. That means the infrastructure of our organization has to be in great shape. That's what our fans deserve; they deserve a best-in-class operation for every aspect and we're always working behind the scenes to provide that. Right now, that comes to the forefront. The game is moving so quickly that we always need to try to be better. I'd like to think we're just scratching the surface of how good we can be.
BSJ: Are there specific things that, in your tenure, where you've said, "I wish I had the time to do deep a dive on,'' but you've been occupied with more pressing things? Are there specific areas that you've wanted to examine more closely that you've had the time to examine?
CB: Even after two years, I'm still relatively new here, especially with most of my time here coinciding with a pandemic. There have been things that have made it hard for me to know about the organization. There's so much still that I want to learn and I've had a chance to catch up on things. If I had to say one thing, it would be everything that has to do with our people. For any great organization, including this one, it all comes back to (having) great people. So taking time to think about how we source, how we recruit, making sure we have processes to get the best candidate pool, have a diverse and a vibrant candidate pool for every position that we hire for. Even more important, once we have our people, to do right by them and by us, in developing them, teaching and training them, giving them the right feedback. Thinking about all of those things has taken up a lot of time during this period and I hope it's something that's going to pay dividends moving forward.
BSJ: How much of what you've been doing is 'process-oriented,' and how much of is specifically examining a specific part of Baseball Operations?
CB: It's hard to separate the two, because in any area, I think it's best to focus on the process because ultimately the results you get come from that. There's so many variables and we can't guarantee anything. The one thing we can control is how we go about things. So whatever area that you want to look at it, you should be looking about how you do things. There are some things that have been more big picture that might have to do working across departments and that information is being shared the right way. And there's some things that are more specific to certain areas.
BSJ: How much self-scouting of personnel are you doing -- using video, using data to evaluate talent at the major league level and in that system?
CB: We always have that sort of stuff going on. Whatever we can do, we're still doing. A lot of what we've been able to do, especially now, is to zoom out and look at how we do those things. How do we use our information to make decisions? How do we evaluate ourselves, our talent and our decisions? I'm proud of what we've done, but we know we have to keep getting better. The game will push us to do that, the competition will push us. We always have to be doing that; we just have a chance to step back and look at it, a little more big picture, of how everything comes together.
BSJ: How unusual has it been to go throughout the winter without legally having any contact with your players? You've been in that blackout mode.
CB: In a vacuum, it's obviously not something we'd choose. It's something that's out of our hands. We all want it to be resolved and we're optimistic. But it's not something we control. But we understand why it's the case and we're hopeful for a timely resolution so that we can get back to business.
BSJ: I would imagine the toughest thing is not having a handle on players' physical status -- whether it's guys rehabbing, or working on some particular aspect of their game. Is that the hardest part of this?
CB: It's just part of the situation right now. Everybody's in the same boat. It's the same across the industry. We try not to dwell on things that are bigger than us and are out of our hands.
BSJ: For you, how similar has this been compared to what you went through, when the game was on pause for a few months?
CB: There are definitely some flashbacks, because both were unusual. You definitely think about that, especially with one coming on the heels of another. At least now, we can gather safely and we can be with our teammates and reap the benefits of in-person interaction. There's really no substitute for that real face-to-face interaction.
BSJ: Have you been able to visit places or people connected to the organization?
CB: I visited our academy (in the Dominican Republic) in December. That's actually something that I had planned to do in my first winter here. Obviously, mid-way through that winter (Alex Cora and the Sox mutually agreed that Cora should step down as manager) things changed for the organization. Then the pandemic hit and there was never a point in time when jumping through all the hoops made sense, given that the reason to go down there was to connect with our people. And if I wasn't going to be able to see them in any kind of substantive way, it wasn't something that made a lot of sense. But I was able to get there and it was great to see. The place was renovated not that long ago and they did a great job. To be able to see our facility and meet our staff ... I'd been to the Dominican plenty, but it was the first time that I did so with the Red Sox. Under normal circumstances, I'd be embarrassed not to have gone there in my first two years. I did have a reason not to, in his case, but it was really nice to be there.
BSJ: How much have you thought about how chaotic it's going to be when an agreement is in place? There will be so much to do in a very small window -- free agents, trades, arbitration, Rule 5 draft....
CB: No matter how chaotic it will be, we all look forward to it. I think to go beyond that probably isn't appropriate. As with anything in our business, we want to feel like we're prepared and that we can act and react quickly. It will be another and different experience, but something to look forward to.
BSJ: Do you worry that it's going to be such a blur and you'll have even more balls than usual that you'll be juggling?
CB: That will be the challenge on everybody's plate, but we'll have to make sure we're on top of it.
BSJ: Is there a to-do list for when a deal is done?
CB: It's certainly something that we talk about internally. We're eagerly awaiting a new CBA, but to get into anything that would happen then...it's a process that's bigger than us and I don't think it's appropriate to talk about it.
BSJ: How close do you think you are to assembling the roster that you'd be comfortable beginning the season with?
CB: That's something I can't talk about it. Even generally, I just don't think it's appropriate to talk about now.
BSJ: How hard it is to prepare for things, without knowing the specifics of an agreement that you have to adhere to.
CB: That's another one. We deal with uncertainty all the time in this game. But beyond that, I don't think it's right to talk about it.
BSJ: Have you used any of the downtime to get a jump on the draft?
CB: We're trying to do everything we can, as we always do, to get in a position to make those decisions when the draft comes and we're able to get out there and see amateur players and scout them.
BSJ: How about getting to Fort Myers? Were you present for the Winter Warm-up Camp (held last month)?
CB: I went down briefly for a couple of days. We had some new player development staff members that I hadn't met. I figured it would be a good time to come down and get a sense of the camp and see some of the players. It was a quick visit, but a good one.
BSJ: How much of your winter was spent working at Fenway and how much was spent at home?
CB: The office has been open. During the height of the Omicron surge, we encouraged flexibility. But it's been open for folks who want to come in and I've done that a good bit. There have been days when it just hasn't made sense logistically. Sometimes, the reason to come was to ensure some peace and quiet and some adult time, but a lot of is it to be able to see people and talk to your teammates and obviously, during the height of the surge, that was less worthwhile because rightly so, if people could work from home, a lot of people were. But it's nice to come to Fenway Park. It's not been the same as the pre-Covid rhythm, but I would say, most days, I would go in.