Since Red Sox owner John Henry owns the Boston Globe, you’d probably think he’s also heavily involved in team media and speaks to reporters often.
But that’s far from the case.
In an email to Fangraphs’ Jason Schwartz, Henry revealed why he hasn’t taken public questions from Red Sox reporters since before the pandemic.
“I saw it [speaking to reporters] as unproductive,” Henry wrote in the email. “Why? Because the Sox have a baseball chief, a CEO, a manager and a chair speaking. There are plenty of front office voices every day.”
The last time Henry spoke to reporters was in February 2020, shortly after the Red Sox dealt Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in a blockbuster move.
Rather than Henry, the Red Sox’s front office of Sam Kennedy, Tom Werner and whoever the president of baseball operations is has been fielding questions from the media instead.
Henry was not among those to speak when the Red Sox let Xander Bogaerts walk in free agency in 2022, nor when they traded franchise icon Rafael Devers in June 2025.
Even faced with renewed calls to speak to the media after Red Sox manager Alex Cora was fired this April, he chose not to.
“I know that local media are frustrated that once again I’m not taking questions from them, but I had a long, close relationship with Alex [Cora],” Henry wrote. “I’m not going to discuss why these changes were made. It would be a disservice to Alex and others. This is a very emotional time for my family who loves Alex and his family.”
The Fenway Sports Founder was tabbed as a savior when it came to print media as he purchased the Boston Globe for $70 million in 2013 and turned it into one of the world’s most iconic news publications.
Though it appeared Henry helped save a dying industry with the purchase, he’s since caused a stir by not answering “hard” questions on the Red Sox and transactions they’ve made.
“The owner’s silence isn’t golden,” The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli wrote, “it’s cowardly and speaks volumes about how one of the sport’s most iconic franchises has become rudderless.”
