The MLB owners meetings in New York have have been the site of many reports and claims over the last 48 hours, with none bigger than the Boston Red Sox explicitly stating their plans for the future.
Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy took the stage on Wednesday night to speak in much more specific terms than in years past.
"Even if it takes us over the CBT, our priority is 90 to 95 wins, and winning the American League East, and winning the division for multiple years," Kennedy said in reference to the Red Sox' plan to invest in payroll, "There is an extreme urgency internally to be competing for the American League East Championship and to set ourselves up for a deep postseason run in 2025 without question."
Kennedy would go on to say that the team's hopes are to win a World Series in the next four seasons.
While the Red Sox have been linked to most major free agents this winter, they have been viewed by many around the league as unserious suitors, citing their prior apprehension to offering large contracts. If Kennedy is to be believed, it would appear that the team's ownership has turned a corner and is ready to invest heavily.
When asked specifically about the Red Sox' pursuit of free agent superstar Juan Soto, Kennedy did not utter Soto's name but stated "it's going to be that person's decision."
During the interview, Kennedy received a phone call from David Ortiz. While Kennedy did not reveal what the two spoke about, he "appeared quite pleased by the conversation" according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe.
Ortiz has been an avid proponent of the Red Sox signing Juan Soto, even predicting the 25-year-old superstar would sign in Boston in an interview with el Vocero de Puerto Rico. The Red Sox have employed the recruitment services of Ortiz before, and if they are indeed using them in pursuit of Soto, one would believe that the impact would be magnified because of Soto's childhood fandom of Ortiz and teammate Manny Ramirez.
Many reports cite that Ortiz and Soto are neighbors in the Dominican Republic, and that they've grown closer over the years. It would stand to reason, while speculative, that the call Kennedy received from Ortiz could very well have been about the coveted free agent.
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