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Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy Joins live!
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00:00Hey, good morning guys. How are you? Oh, we're hanging in there. We're moving forward. It's obviously been a difficult
00:10three or four days, but we're moving forward and have a deep debt of gratitude to the guys that we
00:20parted ways with.
00:22It's never easy. It goes with the territory, but we're going to move forward as a group and thank Alex
00:31and the guys for everything that they did.
00:35Certainly some guys on this team are upset, obviously, with the decision to part ways with those guys.
00:43I don't know how accurate it is, but CBS Sports yesterday reporting that Trevor Story and Willier Abreu and Narvaez,
00:53some of those guys actually broke down in tears upon being told about Alex Cora.
01:01Is that accurate? And what as an organization do you need to do going forward here to kind of commend
01:10that situation?
01:12Yeah, I think it's accurate to say that it was a very emotional 24, 48 hours in Baltimore for everybody
01:22involved, mostly the people impacted by the moves or series of moves.
01:29So, yeah, it's accurate to say it was emotional, and that's a demonstration of the incredibly close relationships that have
01:39been forged over the years.
01:41It's hard any time there's change.
01:46So, to move forward, the key to moving forward is communication, and that's the reason we were on the ground
01:55in Baltimore from John Henry, myself, Brez.
01:59We were there as a group to communicate directly with those impacted in person, spending all day, all night, Saturday
02:08and Sunday on it.
02:11Brez obviously is with the team up in Toronto continuing a series of constructive conversations.
02:17This is a professional group, and they're going to pull together and now move forward with a lot of season
02:25left.
02:25A league source yesterday described it as the firing as a culmination of a misalignment between the front office and
02:36ownership and Alex Cora.
02:38Is that accurate?
02:40I'd say the moves were really about the confidence and the belief in the 2026 Red Sox and this group
02:50of players.
02:51I mean, as painful and difficult as it was, we really thought it was necessary for a fresh start for
03:00this particular group of guys, and that's why we acted.
03:06And, you know, that's why we're where we are, unfortunately.
03:12We've never, I don't believe in our time in two and a half decades, made a managerial change in season.
03:19It is a drastic move, but obviously we felt it was necessary where we are, and so that's the decision
03:27we made, and we own that, and we're accountable for it, and now we move forward.
03:32Sam, do you feel like that the clubhouse wasn't really responding to Cora's style when it came to leadership and
03:41how the team was being run before you guys made the decision to move on from him?
03:48Look, we got off to a slow start.
03:54There's just no denying that, so that's, you know, that is definitely a factor.
04:00But, again, you're talking about someone in Alex Cora who has been in a leadership position for eight or so
04:09years,
04:10taking our franchise to incredible heights, 2018 is a memory that we'll all share for a lifetime.
04:19He became a friend to so many across the city.
04:23It was just, it made it a really difficult decision, but we felt it was the right time to move
04:30on and get a fresh start.
04:31But, again, I'd be lying if I said it didn't come with serious emotion and heartache for all of us.
04:41Sam, you said in the press conference the other day that moving on from these coaches was a bold recommendation
04:47from Craig Breslow.
04:48What was the process like of getting that recommendation from Craig, then making the decision, and who else was involved
04:56in making the final decision?
05:00Sure, yeah, I tried to be as clear as I possibly could on that matter.
05:08And we and I led the process to hire Craig a couple years ago, and we brought him in to
05:18be very clear to lead our baseball operation and make personnel decisions.
05:24So that's number one.
05:25Number two, a decision of this magnitude does not get executed upon without the full support and alignment with the
05:37CEO and ownership.
05:40And that group includes me, John, Tom, Mike Gordon, Theo, our apparatus and ownership.
05:48So it's a decision that had full support.
05:52And, again, it was incredibly difficult, but that's the decision that we made, and we go forward from here.
06:01I know there is reasoning behind every decision that gets made, and there's always curiosity about it, so it's good
06:10to clear it up.
06:11What was the reasoning behind John Henry not being a part of that press conference on Sunday?
06:18Yeah, I think that's probably something that also needs to be clarified.
06:24John Henry is deeply engaged with this organization.
06:29He has been since day one, going all the way back to 2002.
06:34For those of you who know John, you know, he doesn't always do it in the most public-facing way.
06:39He's very selective in terms of how he engages with the media, but that should not ever be confused with
06:48a lack of involvement or care.
06:52John's in regular communication daily with me, with Craig Breslow, with people across the organization.
07:01It's very personal for him.
07:02He cares deeply about this team.
07:06He and I and Craig flew together to Baltimore.
07:10He was there every step of the way, having the direct conversations with those impacted, having direct conversations with players.
07:21In the clubhouse the next day, he's been in touch with players over the course of the last 48, 72
07:27hours.
07:27And so I think it's important to clarify that people understand and see him around the ballpark.
07:36And I've been stating for years the level of involvement that John has.
07:41Nothing's wavered there whatsoever, and the passion and care is there.
07:46But I think there's this misperception because he engages with the media on a select basis, not engaging with talk
07:56radio, not engaging in a back-and-forth press conference over the last several years.
08:02I understand raises some question, but I am here to tell you that he is deeply, deeply engaged in this
08:09franchise and everything across all of Fenway Sports Group.
08:12Sam, for me, I just, I think you guys made a decision that I, the reaction by the manager and
08:20by the highest paid players on the team has told me that you guys made the right decision.
08:24The way in which you've attempted to take the high road while Alex Kaur has been passive-aggressively posting on
08:29social media how happy he is, I think is a bad look for him.
08:33However, when you're building a roster and you speak eloquently and often about the need to find guys that can
08:38play here,
08:39the inability to finalize the deal with a guy like Alex Bregman over whatever it may have been, no trade
08:46clause, I wasn't a part of the negotiation.
08:49In hindsight, do you own some culpability in where this team is for maybe not understanding the magnitude of his
08:56role in helping get the young guys ready to play?
09:00Absolutely. I mean, we, we, we, we have culpability, um, when the, when the franchise is not performing at the
09:08level that we hold ourselves to, um, so short answer is yes, for, for sure.
09:15Sam, was there a specific moment that made you guys go, okay, this is the reason why we're going to
09:22move on from Alex Cora?
09:24Because, you know, you look at the Yankee series and then you score 17 runs.
09:28Was there something that made you go, okay, it is time that we pull the plug on this?
09:35Yeah, really, uh, we, we, we started the conversations, um, I'd say, you know, Friday night into Saturday morning.
09:45And then when we made the decision, um, we wanted to move quickly.
09:50Um, and we, we, we flew down to Baltimore right away.
09:54And again, it's, it was the, the, the decision on our part that in order for a fresh start for
10:02this group of players,
10:03players and a new beginning, um, we had to take bold and decisive action.
10:08Um, history will, will, will, will judge, um, the, the decision, uh, and, and we'll see how it, how it
10:16goes.
10:16But that was, uh, that was the reason for the timing.
10:20There's an argument out there that Alex Cora can only manage the roster that he's given.
10:28So is there, is there culpability when it comes to, and I think it's, I guess it's Craig Breslin.
10:33When it comes to the, the, the, the architect behind the roster for this team, this season.
10:42Absolutely.
10:43I mean, it's, uh, there's never, um, you know, one individual, uh, person, uh, who is, uh, it gets full,
10:52full culpability.
10:53I mean, uh, we, I, uh, like I said, I hired Craig Breslin.
10:59We, we had a process, um, that's a, the magnitude of that decision.
11:02I can assure you doesn't get, get executed upon without the full support of, of ownership of, of the people
11:09in our ownership group that we report to.
11:12Um, but Bres was very, um, direct and clear, I think about his, uh, accountability for the roster.
11:20So absolutely, that, that's a big part of it.
11:23And we've, and this decision was a lot about our confidence and belief in that roster.
11:30Um, so, so the answer there is, is yes, as well.
11:34There's, there's plenty of blame, uh, to go around.
11:37The guy you're speaking to now deserves blame, uh, and, and that, uh, we, we don't, we don't run from
11:44that.
11:45Sam, I, my question is, did, was there ever a point where you were deciding whether it was Bresla or
11:51Cora?
11:52Had their relationship reached a point where no matter what the future was, they couldn't do it together?
11:59No, this was really about the, like I said, the, the, the belief in, in the 2026 club and trying
12:06to get a fresh start.
12:07Uh, for that group and, um, take advantage of the fact that we've got a long way to go here,
12:12uh, this season.
12:14Uh, go ahead.
12:15Oh, I was going to ask when, when you look at some of the coaches that you decided to move
12:19on from and some of the ones that you decided to keep,
12:23I guess in particular, what is it about the job that Andrew Bailey is doing that made you decide that
12:28he, uh, should remain part of the team for the rest of this season?
12:33Yeah, there was, um, you know, an aggressive series of, of, of moves and really it was about, um, responsibilities
12:43and, and the positions that we felt we needed changes to, to, to try and get the most out of
12:48this group.
12:48And I think I'll leave it at that.
12:51There's also some confusion out there might be good to clear up about Jason Veritek, whether he was offered a
12:55role with the organization, whether he declined that, uh, whether that was not offered.
13:02Can, can you clear that up for everybody as well?
13:05Absolutely.
13:06Um, Jason Veritek is a, is a Red Sox Hall of Famer.
13:10He's, um, a critical member of our organization.
13:16Um, and when we met with Jason, we told him that, um, we wanted to have him a part of
13:22the organization going forward and, and we'll have an opportunity for him.
13:26Um, and there's no expiration date on that offer.
13:31Um, and so we'll have conversations with him in the future.
13:36Um, he, it's obviously a difficult time right now.
13:40So, um, no clarity in terms of specifics, uh, other than he's, we want him a part of the organization.
13:48Um, if he chooses, uh, to, if he chooses to be a part of the organization, we also fully understand
13:55if, if he would choose to be a part of the organization.
13:56So, um, if he chooses to pass on that, um, for now, but like I said, there's no, no expiration
14:01date on, on that offer.
14:03Sam, Alex Cora hadn't made much of a secret of a potential desire to be a front office member, be
14:09a guy that was a roster builder.
14:11Was that ever something that he had discussed with you?
14:13And did that come up in this process?
14:17Alex is, um, incredible baseball person, player, manager.
14:21Um, he's actually built, uh, rosters and, and, and, and run clubs, um, in Puerto Rico.
14:29And I think he's got, uh, a very bright future in the game, what, in terms of whatever he pursues.
14:36Um, it's not a discussion we ever had about, uh, him in that role here in Boston.
14:43Uh, we talk, uh, we talked a lot with you.
14:45We talk a lot on the show about, uh, veteran leadership on this team and Trevor story certainly has been,
14:53uh, very public in his, uh, frustration with this decision and, um, felt like the explanation was not satisfactory.
15:03I know he met with Craig again yesterday, uh, from your perspective, when it comes to a veteran leader, is
15:10there, uh, an, an obligation for somebody like that to kind of, uh, lead these guys?
15:16You understand that there are changes that, that are made and it's a business is, is it, uh, is it,
15:22is it his job as a leader to get these guys back to playing baseball?
15:27Yeah, Trevor story is, um, he's an, uh, he's an incredible guy.
15:32He's a, a, um, a great teammate.
15:34I think the, um, uh, some of the, uh, blowback and the, the, um, the, the negativity that, that develops
15:45when you choose a certain path, which we did.
15:49We, to be clear, we wanted to go to Baltimore, have this series of conversations.
15:56In person with those affected before anybody else, uh, that was really important to John Henry.
16:05It was really important to me, and it was really important to Craig Breslow.
16:09Um, there is, uh, fallout in that.
16:12And one of the, the negatives of that is that you may catch people by surprise.
16:18You don't have the ability to communicate with them in advance.
16:21So the surprise, the emotion, the reaction, um, is completely fair.
16:28And as you, as you pointed out earlier, now it's our job to be in contact with all of our
16:35players, all of our staff, communicate effectively with our fans, um, and, and move forward.
16:41But we were determined that we were going to keep this decision private and, and confidential until we had the
16:49ability to speak directly to Alex Cora and those impacted.
16:54And we, we, we, that was, that was the decision that we made and we stuck to it.
16:58Um, and, and you saw, uh, some of the fallout from that and, and we accept that and understand that
17:04fully.
17:05Oh, I'm sorry.
17:06Just really quick.
17:07When you look ahead at, uh, the job that now you've tasked Chad Tracy with, are there particular benchmarks that
17:13you're looking at in terms of whether this is a successful season for him as an interim manager?
17:19Yeah, look, Chad came into a very difficult situation, very difficult, um, and we're really grateful to him, uh, and
17:29other members of, of the staff for, for, for stepping up and taking this on.
17:34Um, the, the good thing, um, when we had our, uh, um, our meeting in the clubhouse Sunday morning, um,
17:41Chad is a familiar face to, to the 26 guys in that room, um, about, he made it.
17:48Uh, very clear about 80% of them had played for Chad at one point.
17:52So, uh, he was immediately in a, uh, stabilizing force and, um, and that's, that's really important.
17:59So we're very grateful to him.
18:02He's, uh, he's got an incredibly bright future ahead and we're, we're really appreciative that he's stepping into this role
18:08as difficult as it is, uh, under these circumstances.
18:11Sam, the accountability, the other element that was confusing to me is Andrew Bailey's status remaining as the pitching coach
18:18of this team, considering where the staff has been and the, the, the open goal of the off season and
18:26the roster building being that you wanted run prevention.
18:28Um, yeah, I mean, as I said before, in terms of the, the, the, the staff, the, the decisions were
18:37about the, the roles and responsibilities, um, in terms of what we think that this group of, uh, of players
18:44need right now.
18:45Some, some coaches stayed and some didn't that's, that's part of a, a normal evaluation.
18:50And, um, and Andrew Bailey is a big part of what we're doing going forward here.
18:56And, and we're going to rely on him a lot.
18:59But what, just to be clear, cause we've gone over this a bunch of times too, was, was the strategy
19:05when it came to roster building intentional when it comes to focusing on pitching and on run prevention?
19:15And then, and then, so if so, and was that a, was that a Breslow strategy and, and if, if
19:21that doesn't work, um, do you have to reevaluate that as a strategy?
19:28Look, I mean, you need to, you need to prevent runs, but you also have the score runs to, uh,
19:33to win in baseball.
19:35Will it's early, uh, in the, in the season, we'll see how the identity of this team comes together.
19:42Uh, we have had several, um, promising pitching performances, especially, uh, in, in recent days.
19:50So that's a very good thing.
19:51Uh, but I think the identity, uh, of the 2026 team is still, still coming together at this point.
19:58All right, Sam, as always, thank you for taking the time and we will talk to you again soon.
20:04Appreciate it guys.
20:06Thanks for having me on.
20:07All right.
20:07That is Sam Kennedy, president of the Boston Red Sox.
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