Red Sox Leadership Strikes a Nerve With Fans Over Departures of Bregman and Devers
Spring training is supposed to be a time for optimism. New faces, fresh energy, and the hope that this might be the year. But as the Red Sox kicked off their 2026 campaign, the tone coming out of the front office has fans feeling more frustrated than fired up-especially when it comes to how the team has handled the exits of Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers.
Let’s start with Bregman. The All-Star third baseman signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Chicago Cubs this offseason.
That alone stung. But it was Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy’s comments that really poured salt in the wound.
“If Alex Bregman wanted to be here, ultimately he’d be here,” Kennedy told reporters on Sunday.
That’s a bold statement. And one that doesn’t sit well when you consider the context.
Reports indicated that Boston’s unwillingness to include a full no-trade clause played a key role in Bregman’s decision to bolt. So to frame it purely as a matter of player preference feels a little too convenient.
Yes, Bregman made a choice-but so did the Red Sox. And that choice was to draw a hard line in negotiations that ultimately cost them a cornerstone player.
Kennedy did add that the organization is “grateful to Alex Bregman and what he meant to us,” but the overall message landed as dismissive. Fans aren’t just upset that Bregman left-they’re upset that the front office seems to be brushing off the reasons why.
Then came the Rafael Devers comments, and things didn’t get much better.
Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, while saying he doesn’t speak ill of former players, still managed to deliver a pointed critique of Devers' refusal to switch positions last season. With Triston Casas sidelined by injury, the team asked Devers to move to first base-a request he declined. Werner called that decision “extremely discouraging” and followed it up with a blunt remark: “Just pick up a glove.”
That’s the kind of comment that sticks with fans-and not in a good way. It echoes the kind of tone that’s drawn criticism in other cities, where ownership’s disconnect from the clubhouse and the fan base has become a storyline of its own.
Now, to be fair, the Red Sox aren’t hiding from the fact that they’re moving on. Kennedy and Werner have made it clear they’re focused on the future, pointing to offseason additions like catcher Willson Contreras and lefty Ranger Suárez as signs of a team building toward sustainable success.
And there’s nothing wrong with looking ahead. That’s what spring is for.
But there’s a difference between being forward-thinking and being tone-deaf.
When you lose two franchise-caliber players in back-to-back offseasons, fans deserve more than a shrug and a soundbite. They want transparency.
They want accountability. And most of all, they want to feel like the team they root for is doing everything it can to compete-not just financially, but culturally.
Because in baseball, how you handle departures matters just as much as how you handle arrivals. And right now, Boston’s messaging isn’t winning over the people who matter most: the fans.
The Red Sox may be turning the page, but if they want to write a better chapter in 2026, they’ll need more than just new names on the roster. They’ll need to reconnect with the fan base that’s been left wondering: What exactly is the plan here?