On May 30, Boston Red Sox CEO and president Sam Kennedy stated that he believed the Red Sox had underperformed to that point in the season.
Kennedy's statements started a fire among Red Sox Nation. Fans everywhere hurled "I told you so's" at Kennedy and the front office — seemingly no one but management expected Boston to thrive in 2024.
Red Sox skipper Alex Cora rushed his players' defense, as he's done on multiple occasions. He said his team has been "OK," which still isn't great, but he gave the club more credit than Kennedy did.
Almost a week after his original statement, Kennedy appeared on NESN's pregame show on June 5 to rephrase his criticism of the Sox. He said hovering around .500 is never the expectation set, and he flipped completely on the performance of the team.
Red Sox beat Braves, 9-0! However, we still don't know if this team is overachieving or underachieving. What does Sam Kennedy think? @WEEI pic.twitter.com/1NxvtSw9HS
— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) June 6, 2024
Kennedy admitted that the Red Sox have indeed overperformed when injuries are considered. He went on to praise Boston's coaching staff for continuing to work with the little they have as the depth has been tested.
Regardless of the quantity or severity of injuries that the Red Sox are battling, it's the front office's job to provide adequate depth for the team in the event of those emergencies. Instead of signing quality depth options this offseason, Boston has opted for internal options, which has resulted in the third-highest strikeout total in the league and a whopping 40 unearned runs due to sloppy defense.
Sam Kennedy rephrases previous statement about the Red Sox "underperforming"
The hosts of WEEI's "Greg Hill Show" expressed that it is Kennedy's job to determine if the Red Sox are underperforming, but they didn't understand the outrage around his assertion. While they are correct in saying that it is Kennedy's job to make such determinations about the club, it's also his job to help rectify its problems. Since Boston is perpetually a .500 squad, he and the rest of the front office haven't fixed anything, despite claims of effort.
The Red Sox can only be as good as the resources they're given. Injuries are unpredictable and very much part of the game, but the complete unpreparedness of Boston's bench is its biggest problem and the reason for so many of its struggles.
The Red Sox's original roster wasn't exceptional, either. Fans haven't forgotten the underwhelming offers to free agents over the winter, and the players the Red Sox could've had would have bolstered the lineup nicely.
Kennedy initially placed the blame for Boston's record in the wrong place. The Red Sox have been "OK," but that's all they were built to be by the people in charge of creating the roster.