Before that, Bloom served as Chief Baseball Officer of the Red Sox, who hired him in 2019 after he built a strong analytics and scouting reputation with the Rays. He worked in Tampa Bay for 15 years and started as an intern.

Quinn Priester’s strong start — combined with how Richard Fitts pitched in September (1.74 ERA, four starts) — reaffirms to the Red Sox that they have young, talented starting depth. Of course, the front office still must add a proven starter or two this offseason.

The Red Sox finished 81-81, missing the playoffs for the third straight year for the first time since 2010-12. The Rays ended 80-82, halting a stretch of five consecutive seasons going to the