Boston Red Sox owner John Henry showed up at Monday’s Winter Classic game at Fenway Park, and he got a pretty clear message from Boston fans.
Henry was booed by the Fenway Park crowd as he left the field before plunging between the Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Henry had to go through the stands to get out, meaning he heard directly from the crowd.
Henry received negative reactions wherever he went. A Boston fan posted a video of him shouting at Henry, who was getting off the bus as he arrived at the stadium.
The fan’s message to Henry is that the Red Sox need to re-sign third player Rafael Devers, who is “great value for money”.
The reaction stems from Henry’s recent moves, or lack thereof, with the Red Sox.
In 2020, the Red Sox traded star midfielder Mookie Betts to the Dodgers after balking at the demands of his contract. Things took a turn for the worse this winter when the team lost to Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres following Boston’s offer. the report made him feel offended.
These moves have contributed to the feeling that the Red Sox are not willing to pay market value to retain their stars even though they are one of the biggest baseball franchises, and that has put Henry off loved by fans.
Devers, a two-time All-Star champion, will be eligible for free agent status after the 2023 season.
The original signal is Red Sox may have learned their lesson, but fans will be watching closely to see if that’s true. If Devs leaves, the backlash against Henry will be even worse.
