Fenway Sports Group isn’t messing around. If Chaim Bloom can’t turn around the Boston Red Sox, someone else will.
Yes, it’s an entirely different sport, but it’s important to notice the patterns of any ownership group.
FSG owns the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, which missed the postseason for the first time in 17 seasons. Pittsburgh won three Stanley Cups during that span, thanks in large part to Sidney Crosby, Evegni Malkin and Kris Letang.
The Boston Red Sox level of success over the last two decades somewhat mirrors the Pens. Since 2004, the Sox have four World Series trophies to their name. Yet, they finished in last place in 2022, and sit in that familiar position to start the 2023 season.
We have a long way to goin the MLB season, but Fenway Sports Group just proved that they aren’t afraid to clean house.
Red Sox: Chaim Bloom was put on notice
John Henry and Penguins ownership put out a statement after cleaning out the front office which included Ron Hextall, Brian Burke and Chris Pryor:
"“We are grateful to Brian, Ron, and Chris for their contributions to the organization over the past two seasons, but we feel that the team will benefit from new hockey operations leadership. While this season has been disappointing, we believe in our core group of players and the goal of contending for the Stanley Cup has not changed.”"
Have the expectations in Boston changed, either? The Red Sox have a rabid fanbase that expects to compete for a postseason spot every year. Two last-place AL East finishes should not be tolerated, and Chaim Bloom would be directly responsible for the roster construction of this year’s team.
Bloom and the Sox have plenty of time to turn things around. Still, Henry and FSG proved they’re not willing to wait around for success, albeit in a completely different arena.