The Red Sox have spent the last few years giving their fan base plenty to gripe about, but one thing isn’t changing: John Henry isn’t going anywhere.
That was the message from Boston president and chief executive officer Sam Kennedy, who shut down the idea that ownership is up for sale. “It doesn't matter, and I mean that sincerely," Kennedy said of the value of the franchise.
"It just doesn't matter. John Henry, Linda Henry, the Henry family are never selling the Boston Red Sox.
And that's a soundbite you can play forevermore. I'd bet anything on that."
The frustration behind those “sell the team” chants has built up over a rough stretch. Boston finished last in the American League East in 2022 and 2023, both times with 78-84 records. The Red Sox were third in the division in 2024 at 81-81, but the years before that included a 24-36 disaster in the shortened 2020 season.
Along the way, the club also dealt with shrinking spending and a few public relations hits. Trading Mookie Betts still stings in Boston, and even hearing the Los Angeles Dodgers’ name is enough to set off a lot of Red Sox fans. The Xander Bogaerts departure in free agency added to the noise, even if Boston viewed that as the right decision because the San Diego Padres put an absurd deal on the table.
The 2025 season finally gave the fan base something to feel good about again. Boston was spending again, looked headed in the right direction, and then the Rafael Devers trade changed the conversation.
Even so, the Red Sox won 89 games, reached the playoffs, and then were bounced by the New York Yankees. That momentum didn’t last forever, though.
Before the 2026 season, Boston let Alex Bregman walk in free agency, and the team stumbled badly out of the gate.
For a while, the Red Sox were one of the worst teams in baseball until late June, which led to Alex Cora and a handful of coaches getting fired. The anger from the stands came right back with it.
Right now, Boston is 64-56 and riding a five-game losing streak, but the club would still be in the playoffs if the season ended today. The season opened with real expectations that the Red Sox would be among the American League’s top contenders, and the first few months didn’t come close to matching that standard.
That’s been the story here for years: when the team wins, the noise fades. When it slips, the chants return.
But if Kennedy’s words are any indication, the ownership message is settled. The Henry family is staying put.
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