FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The idea, as it always is with these things, was a fresh start.
The first full-squad workout for a baseball team each spring is a signal for a new beginning. It's a time of year when, as Kevin Garnett might remind us, "anything is possible.''
So the Red Sox tried to put their best foot forward Monday morning. Principal owner John Henry was on hand, and so were a number of past Red Sox legends: Luis Tiant, Pedro Martinez and Jim Rice included. Some spoke to the entire team, others merely listened, their mere presence speaking volumes.
The emphasis was on executing a turnaround from last year's last-place finish. When asked what the main theme of the meeting was, Alex Cora didn't hesitate.
"We've got to get better,'' said Cora flatly. "That's the whole message.''
On a warm day here and a roomful of players intent on putting the disappointment of a 78-win season behind them, that goal didn't seem quite so far-fetched. You don't have to go back very far to find Red Sox teams that far outstripped expectations. Twice in the last decade, Red Sox teams finished first after taking up residence in the A.L. East cellar in the previous season.
But after the meeting ended and the day's on-field activities began, it was left to Red Sox management to address the harsh realities the franchise faces: five last-place finishes in the last 11 years, which unsurprisingly has created angst among the fan base.
With principal owner John Henry limiting his interaction with reporters to email question-and-answer sessions and some informal banter Monday morning, it was left to team president Sam Kennedy to take some questions.
Kennedy said the team's ticket sales, following a winter in which the club failed to retain free agent Xander Bogaerts and made roster additions that were more complementary than foundational, were actually up 4.5 percent over this time a year ago, with "about a million and a half tickets sold. We're thankful that our fans are ready to come support us.''
As for widespread expectations that the Red Sox will again be a second-division team and not qualify for the postseason, Kennedy was philosophical.
"You have to look at the projections,'' said Kennedy, "but as long as I've been around, they're usually wrong. We don't put a lot of stock in them. We're really excited about this club. You could tell from Alex's message this morning, and the coaching staff, the group is really excited about the guys we have. We'll let the players do a lot of the talking here and won't make any projections, because we'll be wrong if we do.''
Kennedy's unfailingly sunny disposition was put to the test. He exuded optimism about the coming season, but even he couldn't deny that, after two last-place finishes in the last three years, the Sox are feeling some heat to improve.
"The pressure's definitely on,'' he conceded. "It's always on in Boston. We talked a lot about that in the team meeting. Expectations from our fan base are high and they should be high. We have no excuses. We have all the resources. We have the best fan base in baseball that should allow us to compete. So, yeah, we feel the pressure for sure.
"Winter Weekend was an example. Two things: we didn't deliver in 2022 and (second) we need to do a better job communicating our message to our fans. That's on me, frankly. I'm the leader of this organization and if we're not effectively communicating our strategy or our plan, that's on me and that's on us and we need to get better at it.''
Tacitly confirming that interest in the club is down across the board, Kennedy said the team would have to earn back fans' support.
"I think Red Sox Nation will be there for us,'' said Kennedy, "but we've got to be competitive. I think if we're competitive, that will take care of any lack of interest.''
Unsurprisingly, Kennedy was asked about the job security of Chaim Bloom, who was hired in October of 2019 and is about to oversee his fourth season as head of the team's baseball operations department.
"Chaim is our chief baseball officer and we do not anticipate any changes there,'' said Kennedy. "We all know there's a lot of pressure on us every single year. We had a down year in 2022. We really feel, in 2021, we were on the right path. We fell short of the ultimate goal. But we're confident in this group. We're confident in Chaim.''
According to an industry source with knowledge of the situation, Bloom's contract runs "at least'' through 2024, evidence that he was given a five-year deal upon his hiring, with the potential for several club options beyond that.
But if the Red Sox don't take a sizable step forward in 2023, it's unlikely that remaining term on his contract will save Bloom's job.