Red Sox fire exec Bloom after almost 4 seasons
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
The Boston Red Sox fired chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Thursday after four up-and-down seasons that included a pair of last-place finishes and a 2023 almost certain to end without a playoff berth.
Bloom, 40, joined the Red Sox following their firing of general manager Dave Dombrowski in September 2019, a year after they won their fourth World Series in 15 years. He brought small-market success with Tampa Bay as the antithesis to the swashbuckling Dombrowski: methodical, patient and ready to rebuild a farm system while still succeeding in the major leagues.
But within months of arriving, with ownership stressing financial flexibility, Bloom traded star outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The move hung over his tenure as Boston sandwiched last-place finishes around a 2021 in which it took Houston to six games in the ALCS. The Red Sox, on the cusp of wild-card contention as recently as last week, have lost six of their past seven.
The firing surprised multiple officials in the organization, who believed that despite the lack of big league success, the Red Sox’s future — with a much-improved farm system and significant room to spend — is on the upswing. In a statement, owner John Henry said Bloom “set the stage for the future,” but that wasn’t enough to save his job.
“While parting ways is not taken lightly, today signals a new direction for our club,” Henry said. “Our organization has significant expectations on the field and while Chaim’s efforts in revitalizing our baseball infrastructure have helped set the stage for the future, we will today begin a search for new leadership. Everyone who knows Chaim has a deep appreciation and respect for the kind of person he is. His time with us will always be marked by his professionalism, integrity and an unwavering respect for our club and its legacy.”
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Max Olson
San Jose State wide receiver Danny Scudero, the leading receiver in FBS this season, will enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens in January, he announced Friday.
The 5-foot-9, 174-pound redshirt sophomore caught 88 passes for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season with the Spartans, becoming a semifinal for the Biletnikoff Award and earning first-team All-Mountain West honors.
Scudero is expected to be one of the more coveted wide receivers available when the transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2 and has two more seasons of eligibility remaining.
Scudero spent two years at Sacramento State before transferring to San Jose State after the 2024 season. He broke out with 189 receiving yards to open the season against Central Michigan and surpassed 100 yards in five more games, including a career-high 215 and two touchdowns against Hawaii.
Scudero’s 88 receptions ranked fourth-most in FBS, and he leads all receivers this season with 16 catches of 30 or more yards.
The Spartans produced the No. 14 passing offense in FBS this season but went 3-9 in their second year under coach Ken Niumatalolo.
North Carolina offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will not return next season, with the school announcing the departure of both assistants after a 4-8 season in Bill Belichick’s college coaching debut.
“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a statement. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”
North Carolina’s offense was one of the worst in the country, ranking 119th in the FBS in scoring (19.3 PPG) and 129th in total offense (288.8 YPG).
The Tar Heels had special teams issues coming down the stretch too, notably with Duke running a fake field goal to set up a late winning touchdown and NC State successfully running a fake punt for a first down the following week.
Kitchens, who served as Cleveland Browns coach in 2019, had been with the Tar Heels since 2023 and was the interim coach for their Fenway Bowl loss at the end of the 2024 season. Belichick was hired as the new head coach earlier that month.
Priefer was a longtime NFL special teams coach who followed Belichick to Chapel Hill but lasted just one season on the job.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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