Fact Check: Did Chaim Bloom refuse to trade Chris Sale? Exploring details of controversial move focused on injured star

The Boston Red Sox parted ways with chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, ending his four-year tenure with the franchise on Thursday. The decision came to fruition with the Red Sox on the verge of missing the postseason for a third time in four years.

The news of Bloom's termination is hardly a shock, as the franchise axed Dave Dombrowski and Ben Cherington after their respective World Series-winning campaigns.

While Bloom's time at the club was marred with several puzzling decisions, renowned journalist Rob Bradford, formerly of the Boston Herald, shed light on yet another puzzling move.

Bradford claimed that the Red Sox had the chance to trade injury-prone pitcher Chris Sale right after he broke his finger in July 2022. Sale was placed on the Injured List at the time and according to Bradford, a team was willing to pay the injured pitcher's entire salary before the trade deadline.

But the deal was turned down by Bloom as the recently fired chief baseball officer demanded to include better players in the deal. It is an interesting development in the Bloom saga, as the seven-time All-Star has not been the same player since his injury.

"BREAKING: Chaim Bloom had the opportunity last year to trade Chris Sale (while on the IL) and dump the remainder of his contract in return for players, but Bloom declined!"

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Red Sox set sights on the future following Bloom's departure during a disastrous season

Bloom's tenure was off to a shaky start when he authorized the trade of Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a business that made him an instant antagonist in the eyes of the Red Sox fans.

While Bloom has done well with the Red Sox's farm system, laying down a significant platform for the future, the top hierarchy expected better results from the team in the ongoing MLB season.

"The decision was not made lightly or easily," team president and CEO Sam Kennedy read from a prepared statement before his news conference. "We all know where we are in the standings. It's a painful reality that fans feel as deeply as we do. Our fans deserve a winning, competitive team that consistently plays postseason baseball."