The Boston Red Sox had a much more productive offseason last winter than in recent years. They landed left-hander Garrett Crochet in a trade with the Chicago White Sox and gave him a contract extension, and they also brought in Alex Bregman on a three-year, $120 million contract. They appear to be more willing to spend lately, as they also gave Roman Anthony, the team's former top prospect, an eight-year, $130 million contract.
However, recent news suggests that principal owner John Henry might be willing to spend more money soon. Henry heads up Fenway Sports Group and also owns the Pittsburgh Penguins, but according to Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet, a serious suitor has emerged in hopes of buying the Penguins from Henry.
"David Hoffmann, founder and chairman of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, bought the Everblades from former Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos in 2019. He told the Naples Daily News at the time that he’d looked into buying both NHL and NBA teams," Friedman wrote on Monday.
"There is still work to do, so no one should assume this is a done deal. The sale price, should it close, is expected to be in the $1.75 billion range. Fenway bought the Penguins for approximately $900 million in November 2021."
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John Henry may be motivated to spend soon if he sells Penguins
Obviously, a sale isn't close at the moment. But the fact that Henry is at least exploring one should be encouraging for Red Sox fans. And his recent spending on players like Crochet, Bregman and Anthony bodes well for the team too.
The Hoffmann family is said to be a very serious suitor to buy the Penguins. Henry and Fenway Sports Group could make a lot of money from the potential sale, if and when it finally occurs, but that could also free up more money for him to spend on the Red Sox.
Soon, the Red Sox could put themselves back in the conversation of the elite teams in Major League Baseball with their willingness to spend big. They've developed some very intriguing and talented players – look no further than Anthony and Marcelo Mayer – but now the time has come to build around those pieces and give the fans in Boston a true contender to get behind.
The future will look much brighter for the Red Sox soon. There are also some big free agents available this offseason, so if Henry does sell the Penguins, he could jump right into the sweepstakes for some of the top players.