Red Sox owner John Henry suggests fans' expectations are too high

Boston Red Sox owner John Henry risked the ire of fans again.

In an email interview with Sara Germano of the Financial Times, Henry discussed fan expectations, particularly the notion that the Red Sox should be contending for a title yearly. Perhaps controversially, Henry offered one statement that could be read as him suggesting Red Sox fans’ expectations are too high.

“Because fans expect championships almost annually, they easily become frustrated and are not going to buy into what the odds actually are: one in 20 or one in 30,” Henry wrote.

Fan discontent with Henry has risen in recent years, partly due to statements like this. Since winning the World Series in 2018, the Red Sox have won 90 games once while finishing last in the AL East three times. Henry has also been criticized for the team’s unwillingness to pay top players, and that anger has been obvious in recent years.

There are certainly some unfair expectations for big-market teams like the Red Sox. However, that status underlines those expectations. Boston has the resources to be a regular contender and has not been in recent years. Getting rid of homegrown fan favorites like Mookie Betts because he would supposedly be too expensive to keep and Xander Bogaerts only fuels the perception that Henry and the organization are not as aggressive as they used to be. 

Fans want the Red Sox to have a chance to win it all, and that simply has not been the case in recent years.