Chaim Bloom was the Red Sox's first choice to lead their baseball operations department, and it turns out that's all they needed.
The team on Monday made official its previously reported decision to hire the Rays executive as its new chief baseball officer. Bloom, 36, essentially replaces industry stalwart Dave Dombrowski, who was fired Sept. 9 after four years as president of baseball operations in Boston.
Introducing #RedSox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom! pic.twitter.com/FMggoT2HoN
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 28, 2019
Red Sox owner John Henry said in a release that Bloom quickly emerged as the top candidate.
“We believe Chaim is exactly the right person to lead the Boston Red Sox baseball operation based on a number of attributes we sought in this process,” Henry said. “We had done exhaustive work narrowing down candidates. That work led us to Chaim, who was the first executive invited to Boston for an interview. He made a strong impression on all of us and validated our initial research that he was the one to lead our baseball operation."
Bloom, who earned a degree in Classics at Yale, joined the Rays as an intern in 2005 and quickly rose through the ranks on then-GM Andrew Friedman's staff. He has served as senior vice president of baseball operations in Tampa Bay the last three seasons, essentially splitting management of baseball ops with GM Erik Neander.
“It is an incredible honor to have the opportunity to lead the Red Sox baseball operations department,” Bloom said in a release. “The talent and dedication of our staff, and the culture that they represent, are remarkable. I'm excited to work with them to take this organization to new heights, and humbled by the faith that John, Tom, and Sam have in what we will accomplish together. The bond between the Red Sox and our fans is second to none, and my family and I are eager to make New England our home"
Bloom's to-do list out of the gate is daunting. The Red Sox face tough decisions this winter on what to do with the likes of Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and Jackie Bradley Jr., among others.
