Keeping up with the 617: The realistic blueprint for the Red Sox offseason

Joy to the baseball gods! The Red Sox have officially signed the latest hot shotchief baseball officerin Chaim Bloom who expects to undergo a "soft rebuild" this offseason. As an extremely passionate Boston Red Sox supporter, I am currently not a fan of Bloom's blueprint; instead of looking for prospects and younger players to fill the roster, Bloom looks to resign core clubhouse players and is hopeful to keep Mookie Betts, the reigning 2018 AL MVP. As much as this change for the Red Sox front office was needed, I am disagreeing with Bloom's current idea of the Red Sox 2020 roster. After becoming a dumpster fire in 2019, this Red Sox lineup and pitching staff need a change; however, veteran leaders will not turn this hopeful team around. Here are two roster moves the Red Sox need to make this offseason:

Trade Mookie Betts

Yes, you read that right. After praying for Betts to stay this entire regular season, I had a change of heart when I glanced at the Red Sox prospect pool — it's atrocious. Currently, the Red Sox's farm system is ranked #30 in the MLB, according to FanGraphs. To add insult to injury, the Sox only have one representative in the Top 100 Prospect List: Tristan Casas. To make matters even worse, Casas is stuck in A+ and his ETA to the major leagues is 2022 — not an ideal timeframe for the Red Sox. The Sox need prospects to maintain their dominance in the AL East. The formula for maintaining current success in the MLB is simple — a solid Major League roster and a deep prospect pool. Currently, Betts' trade value is at an all-time high. GMs across the league are itching to have meetings to discuss a potential trade with the 4-time All-Star. Send Betts to a team with a deep prospect pool and receive back cash and, most importantly, pitching prospects.

Reform the Bullpen

All year I struggled to maintain confidence whenever the Red Sox carried a slight lead into the late innings. Most of the time, my mindset was correct. Matt Barnes, the projected closer on Opening Day, had a 33.3 save percentage. Barnes was part of a lights-out bullpen in 2018 but was stuck in a major slump this season. Colten Brewer, who was projected to have a breakout season in the bullpen, posted a 4.12 ERA and was painfully mediocre down the stretch. Although Brandon Workman was a diamond in the rough player this season, the bullpen needs a complete overhaul. However, this might take some money-shaving methods and many minor moves in order for this to occur. Players like Jake Diekman, Daniel Hudson and Steve Cishek come to mind. The front office must surround Brandon Workman with valid relievers that won't have an aneurysm when a runner gets on base.

Look, the Red Sox offseason will be long, dreadful and most likely disappointing for fans. Yes, Betts will most likely leave this organization and the Yankees will once again look like a juggernaut on paper. But if the front office does anything solid this offseason, they must focus on the bullpen. No matter how much the fan base loved Brock Holt and Mitch Moreland, let them walk in free agency. I love Holt with every bone in my body but we have a very solid lineup currently that showed no signs of slowing down last season. If you shed Holt's and Moreland's salary, it opens the door for Chaim Bloom and co. to make much-needed changes to a disastrous bullpen. Do us a favor Chaim, make this offseason a memorable one.