The off-season wasn’t one of cheer and joy for the average Red Sox fan this year. Even with the monster signing of Rafael Devers to a 10-year $313 million contract, the largest in franchise history. That right there is something that should excite most of the fanbase, and to some extent it did, but to most fans it felt as if it were a “makeup signing”. They wanted to see some of the City’s favorites such as Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez, and more become life-long Boston Red Sox icons.
Red Sox Fans Were Furious
The Red Sox hosted their first winter weekend event since 2020, and let’s just say it wasn’t the most comfortable event to attend if you were John Henry, Chaim Bloom, or anyone on the stage that day. Fans were ruthlessly booing and shouting as Henry would try to get words out. Much of this had to do with the recent news of Bogaerts not re-signing, as well as some other players, and just the overall lack of starpower on the roster. It’s something that John Henry seems to be receiving more and more these days, being involved with other leagues, and teams fan bases such as Liverpool and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anyone who was tuned in for that event slowly started to think to themselves, “is this team done for?”
Red Sox Spring Training
As spring training hit, there was something different about the scenery down there in Fort Myers, FL. It was a ghost town compared to most of the prior years, and lacked the busy buzz of a normal Red Sox spring training. Everywhere from twitter, to local sports radio was talking about the lack of interest and overall viewership from the fan base thus far.
As the games started, it came as a surprise to many when the club started overperforming, seemingly catching instant fire. They have maintained that success to this point, still with an outstanding record of 9-1. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying spring training is going to directly translate to regular season success, but it certainly is better than going 1-9.
Starting Fresh Vibe
There was a great deal of respect for guys like Bogoaerts, who didn’t get that contract he desired here in Boston. Because of that, I think the Redsox felt they had to clean the room, and eliminate the possibility of bad blood, bad vibes, or whatever you prefer to call it. There very much could have been a “start fresh” mindset in the front office, as it appears that’s what they are doing, with only a few key returning players. You certainly have to like the energy you are seeing from the club down there in Fort Myers, and hope it can continue into the regular season. This team is deeper than people think, and although it might not wow you in MLB the show, they should be able to compete, hopefully at a higher level than last year.
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