The Bloom Special?

[C-Unit]

I'm not impressed with either prospect named in the Donovan deal. This was not even a worthwhile trade to make, might as well just hang onto Donovan. You want to get a player who you think could be as good as Donovan. Donovan has been worth 10 fWar. I would say it's a 90 percentile outcome if either of these guys make it to 10 career fWar. It seems as though this trade was part of a directive, rather than an effort to have the best talent possible. Look at Pittsburgh, they were able to trade Oviedo for a CF prospect who will impact their major league roster THIS YEAR. And the best Donovan can get you is a CF prospect who is in A+ and hit .219 with a lot of strikeouts.

It seems Bloom was hired to install a system in Boston. Boston kept the system, let Bloom go perform the install somewhere else. The installer. He's the nameless, faceless, emotionless mercenary who has the youthful smile and PR persona required to sell himself to a rabid fanbase and then disassemble the organization right infront of your eyes. I think DeWitt liked the work he saw Bloom do in Boston, and decided he would be the right guy for his job.

[An Old Friend]

I'm not impressed with either prospect named in the Donovan deal. This was not even a worthwhile trade to make, might as well just hang onto Donovan. You want to get a player who you think could be as good as Donovan. Donovan has been worth 10 fWar. I would say it's a 90 percentile outcome if either of these guys make it to 10 career fWar. It seems as though this trade was part of a directive, rather than an effort to have the best talent possible. Look at Pittsburgh, they were able to trade Oviedo for a CF prospect who will impact their major league roster THIS YEAR. And the best Donovan can get you is a CF prospect who is in A+ and hit .219 with a lot of strikeouts.

Your critique rings pretty hollow when you don’t even know who the best player in the deal is.

[An Old Friend]

Here’s what Keith Law said about Cijntje coming into 2025:

His right-handed delivery and arsenal are clearly that of a starter, with the upside of a No. 2. He’s 95-97, touching 99, with a 55 slider and solid-average changeup that has good fading action, although it might be a little too close to the fastball in velocity. His right-handed arm action is compact and repeatable, with a three-quarters slot and good use of his lower half. He often kept throwing right-handed even to left-handed batters in college, so it seems like he understands he’s better from that side. He’s very athletic and moves extremely well on the mound, throwing strikes from both sides, and seems likely to be able to make adjustments to his pitches as he moves up given the athleticism and reports on his makeup.

[C-Unit]

Here’s what Keith Law said about Cijntje coming into 2025:

His right-handed delivery and arsenal are clearly that of a starter, with the upside of a No. 2. He’s 95-97, touching 99, with a 55 slider and solid-average changeup that has good fading action, although it might be a little too close to the fastball in velocity. His right-handed arm action is compact and repeatable, with a three-quarters slot and good use of his lower half. He often kept throwing right-handed even to left-handed batters in college, so it seems like he understands he’s better from that side. He’s very athletic and moves extremely well on the mound, throwing strikes from both sides, and seems likely to be able to make adjustments to his pitches as he moves up given the athleticism and reports on his makeup.

Here, this sentence I found makes me feel a bit better about Cijntje:

"Cijntje will be just dandy when and if he gives up on the novelty act: he has a sneaky good right-handed fastball as well as a swing-and-miss breaker that ought to result in a middle-of-the-rotation future." - CBS

[JuanAgosto]

Let's hope dumb[ash] oli tries to use Cijnjte twice in the rotation. #3 starter while right-handed, #5 while left-handed.

The sad part is the (bleep) may actually expect the kid to do this.

[TopofthePerch]

WTF are you loons smoking? They got a top 100 00 prospect that might only get better just focusing on pitching on the right side. The two comp picks along with their slot value are also very nice. Then you throw in a few outfield prospects that will likely fall into our top 30. Honestly it's a nice haul.

[zoiks]

I don’t like a trade where the headline prospect is a RH pitcher under 6 ft tall. Such pitchers almost always end up relievers. Hopefully this one ends up a SP, but the odds are not good.

The 2 OF prospects are young but are busts so far in the minors.

Getting 2 Comp B draft picks should increase the team’s draft pool enough to allow paying a high school player well over slot with 1 of the picks, while using the other pick on an under slot college player. This is high risk but likely the best strategy for a rebuilding team.

[Goldfan]

I don’t like a trade where the headline prospect is a RH pitcher under 6 ft tall. Such pitchers almost always end up relievers. Hopefully this one ends up a SP, but the odds are not good.

The 2 OF prospects are young but are busts so far in the minors.

Getting 2 Comp B draft picks should increase the team’s draft pool enough to allow paying a high school player well over slot with 1 of the picks, while using the other pick on an under slot college player. This is high risk but likely the best strategy for a rebuilding team.

So how tall is Mr. Ambidextrous?

[imetsatchelpaige]

I don’t like a trade where the headline prospect is a RH pitcher under 6 ft tall. Such pitchers almost always end up relievers. Hopefully this one ends up a SP, but the odds are not good.

The 2 OF prospects are young but are busts so far in the minors.

Getting 2 Comp B draft picks should increase the team’s draft pool enough to allow paying a high school player well over slot with 1 of the picks, while using the other pick on an under slot college player. This is high risk but likely the best strategy for a rebuilding team.

Like Sonny Gray and Carlos Martinez?

[zoiks]

So how tall is Mr. Ambidextrous?

Let me Google that for you - He’s listed as 5’11”. Anything under 6’3” is considered undersized for a RH SP. RH pitchers under 6 ft tall rarely make it as an MLB SP, despite people here who will for sure list the rare outliers over the past 2 decades.

[Southern Illinois]

Logged on just to see what the idiot brigade would have to say after the trade. Not disappointed. Three prospects, including a top 100 pitcher with upside to a #2 starter and speed in the CF and TB 25 prospect and add to that two top 75 picks in the draft and you have a haul for a versatile but offensively limited player. The mindless carping by baseball numbskulls is amusing.

[WaltsSuccessor]

So how tall is Mr. Ambidextrous?

Let me Google that for you - He’s listed as 5’11”. Anything under 6’3” is considered undersized for a RH SP. RH pitchers under 6 ft tall rarely make it as an MLB SP, despite people here who will for sure list the rare outliers over the past 2 decades.

Well the list isn’t short which suggests it’s not that rare…

Lots of pitchers…short, tall, right handed, and left handed end up in the bullpen after failing as starters.

Plus it’s entirely possible (perhaps even likely) that either of the two Comp B picks end up being the best return in the trade.

[zoiks]

It’s nice to be reminded of how little most people understand statistics.

[Ozziesfan41]

I'm not impressed with either prospect named in the Donovan deal. This was not even a worthwhile trade to make, might as well just hang onto Donovan. You want to get a player who you think could be as good as Donovan. Donovan has been worth 10 fWar. I would say it's a 90 percentile outcome if either of these guys make it to 10 career fWar. It seems as though this trade was part of a directive, rather than an effort to have the best talent possible. Look at Pittsburgh, they were able to trade Oviedo for a CF prospect who will impact their major league roster THIS YEAR. And the best Donovan can get you is a CF prospect who is in A+ and hit .219 with a lot of strikeouts.

It seems Bloom was hired to install a system in Boston. Boston kept the system, let Bloom go perform the install somewhere else. The installer. He's the nameless, faceless, emotionless mercenary who has the youthful smile and PR persona required to sell himself to a rabid fanbase and then disassemble the organization right infront of your eyes. I think DeWitt liked the work he saw Bloom do in Boston, and decided he would be the right guy for his job.

I don’t know if he’s sold much most of the fan base is crying and whining since he took over