Words won't matter much until we see it on the field...
May 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A bag of baseballs sits on the diamond before a game against between the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
As another season ends in bitter disappointment for the Boston Red Sox, only one question matters to fans: Will this team really go all-out in its quest to return to the playoffs?
It's no secret that the Red Sox have been under a tight budget for the last few seasons. They had baseball's highest payroll just five years ago, but downsized to the 11th biggest spenders in 2024, over $130 million behind the first-place New York Mets.
As the Red Sox get set to watch the playoffs from their living rooms for the third straight October, pressure is at an all-time high. This franchise isn't supposed to become accustomed to disappointment, and that's exactly what the expectation will become if 2025 isn't a success.
On Monday, the Red Sox held their season-end press conference, including manager Alex Cora, president of baseball operations Craig Breslow, and CEO Sam Kennedy. And the latter attempted to express a strong commitment to returning to the playoffs... while also keeping coy on the issue of payroll.
"We don't talk publicly about what we plan to do with our payroll, not because we're trying to hide anything from the media, from the fans, we just don't like to talk publicly about our payroll pans because we see it as a competitive advantage in the American League East," Kennedy said when asked about payroll.
"That said, I can assure you that the feeling is that our fans have been through a lot, they've been patient, and it's time to get back where we belong... It's time to get back and go for that division title, play baseball in the postseason. That's why we're here... That's our obligation and our responsibility to the best fans in baseball."
Kennedy also acknowledged that "talk is cheap, words are hollow," and that the Red Sox would have to prove their commitment to winning by doing just that--winning on the field.
Cora and Breslow, meanwhile, expressed similar sentiments to what both have already been saying in the last week.
Cora, who wrote a handwritten thank-you to fans that went out over the Red Sox's social media accounts on Monday, restated that he believes this will be the last year of the "struggle" period for the Red Sox. And Breslow pledged to explore all avenues to improve the roster between now and Opening Day.
The three Red Sox spokesmen were in a tough spot. There wasn't much they could say, coming off another bitter disappointment, that would have ensured fans remain calm throughout the offseason.
Now, though, the work begins in earnest. Kennedy is right, talk is indeed cheap. But the Red Sox's lack of action in the last few winters has set the team up for failure once April eventually came around. We'll see if this is just lip service, or if the Red Sox do go for the jugular come free agency.
