If Maddon still wants to manage a year or two, it could be in STL next year.
Somebody like that might help some of the youngsters like Walker.
I'm pretty sure Bloom will want to start fresh with a new manager.
from Grok:
Yes, Chaim Bloom and Joe Maddon are friends, based on their long professional collaboration and personal interactions during their overlapping time with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006 to 2014. Bloom joined the Rays as an intern in 2005 and advanced through roles in baseball operations, working closely with Maddon (the team's manager during much of that period) on player development, scouting, and strategic planning. Maddon has repeatedly described their bond in warm, personal terms in interviews, highlighting Bloom's intellect and their ongoing connection even after both left the organization.
In a 2022 interview, Maddon reflected on their Rays tenure, saying: "He and I had a great relationship and still do have a great relationship. Aliza, his wife, they lived near us in Tampa and they came to our Gasparilla parties. I just watched him bloom, blossom. He was like the guy in the background that eventually just keep going. He’s brilliant. He’s a brilliant guy. He and I had a lot of conversations, all the time. I always sought out his thoughts because he would clarify things." This indicates not just a professional rapport but a social friendship, as their families socialized together (e.g., attending local events like Gasparilla, Tampa's annual pirate-themed festival).
Maddon has also praised Bloom publicly on multiple occasions post-Rays. In 2019, after Bloom was hired by the Boston Red Sox, Maddon called him someone with "the most common sense in any room" and expressed confidence in his future success, noting, "I loved working with both of them [Bloom and Rays GM Erik Neander]." In 2021, Bloom himself referenced drawing lessons from Maddon during challenging times with the Red Sox, quoting advice like "Don’t let it get away. Stay with it and eventually it comes back to you," which underscores the mentor-mentee dynamic that evolved into a lasting advisory friendship.
Their paths diverged after 2014—Maddon left for the Chicago Cubs, and Bloom stayed with the Rays until 2019—but the mutual respect and personal ties persisted. No evidence suggests any falling out, and recent coverage (as of 2025) of Bloom's role with the St. Louis Cardinals does not contradict this; instead, it aligns with Maddon's earlier endorsements of Bloom as a "brilliant" collaborator. While "friends" can be subjective, the combination of shared professional history, family interactions, and ongoing positive public comments substantiates a genuine friendship beyond mere colleagues.
