Entering the offseason, there was hope that the Boston Red Sox could make a splash. Names such as Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery all highlighted the free agent market, and chairman Tom Werner had vowed that the franchise would go “full throttle”.
Instead, Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy publicly admitted last month that the payroll would likely be less in 2024 than it was in 2023, the team told at least one free agent that they needed to shed more payroll before they could sign them, reports emerged of 2023 budget constraints, and there was widespread confusion and criticism from both their fanbase and reporters wondering why the MLB’s third-most valuable franchise was operating akin to a small market team.
Well, this confusion and frustration has now superseded the fanbase and permeated the Red Sox locker room, with face of the franchise Rafael Devers leading the charge on Tuesday.
One of the most embarrassing clips in recent memory for the Red Sox.
Your franchise player, Rafael Devers, saying everyone knows what this team needs to compete.
Shameful.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) February 20, 2024
Rafael Devers on the roster:
"Everybody knows what we need. You know what we need. They know what we need. There’s some things I can’t say out loud. Everybody that knows the organization and knows the game knows what we need."
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 20, 2024
As the longest-tenured and highest-paid Red Sox, Devers is set to remain in Boston until 2033 after inking an 11-year, $331 million contract extension in Jan. 2023.
When pitcher Chris Sale was traded to the Atlanta Braves just prior to the new year, Devers became the only remaining member of the Red Sox from their 2018 World Series championship team. Devers knows what a championship team looks like from experience, and it sure sounds like he doesn’t sense one looking around Boston’s spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla.
Closer Kenley Jansen, who has been the frequent subject of trade speculation, also expressed his displeasure on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, insinuating that the team had duped him about their vision when he signed a two-year contract back in Dec. 2022.
“I definitely feel frustrated. I came here for two years where Year 1 we were going to compete but by Year 2 they were really going to go for it… They have a different vision now. I get it. It’s part of the business but at the same time I have one more year left here and I’m going to give the fans the best that I have.”
– Jansen via Baseball Isn’t Boring Podcast
Even former players have chimed in. On Monday, Kennedy relayed that soon-to-be Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Dustin Pedroia FaceTimed several key decision makers to remind them of the free agents still available on the market and “make his feelings known about what the Red Sox should do”.
Jansen and Devers’ comments also come on the heels of a report last week from John Tomase that “there are people in this organization who are genuinely embarrassed by the way the offseason unfolded”. Tomase also stated that he doesn’t believe that principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner are “on the same page” regarding the future of the franchise. That disconnect could help explain why Werner instilled hope when he vowed in early November that the franchise would go “full throttle” this offseason, only for it to become abundantly clear that the franchise had no intent of fulfilling that promise.
On Monday, Henry scoffed when reporters asked if he had a couple minutes to talk about the team, Craig Breslow sidestepped a question about whether this iteration of the Red Sox were a playoff team, and manager Alex Cora has refused to discuss if he will be returning to the team in 2024. It could get ugly.
