John Henry, the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and The Boston Globe, revealed that he considers speaking to the media "unproductive" as his reason for not engaging with Red Sox reporters. Henry has not taken questions from the team's press since February 2020.
Henry communicated his reasoning in an email to Fangraphs' Jason Schwartz. He stated that the Red Sox have "a baseball chief, a CEO, a manager and a chair speaking. There are plenty of front office voices every day." He believes this established communication structure negates the need for his personal engagement with the media.
The last public interaction Henry had with Red Sox reporters occurred shortly after the team traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since then, the team's front office, including figures like Sam Kennedy and Tom Werner, have been the designated spokespersons for media inquiries.
This silence has persisted through significant team events, including the departure of Xander Bogaerts in free agency in 2022 and the trade of Rafael Devers in June 2025. Even following the firing of Red Sox manager Alex Cora in April, Henry opted not to address the media, citing a desire not to disrespect Cora and his family during an emotional period.
Henry's acquisition of The Boston Globe in 2013 for $70 million was initially seen as a move to support a struggling print media industry. However, his subsequent lack of engagement on Red Sox matters has drawn criticism. Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic commented that Henry's silence "isn't golden, it's cowardly and speaks volumes about how one of the sport’s most iconic franchises has become rudderless."