Sam Kennedy convinced a healthy Red Sox team 'can compete and surprise some people' in 2024

Public belief be damned, the Boston Red Sox think they can turn heads in 2024.

The widespread outlook on the Sox isn’t exactly bullish. Tom Werner’s ill-fated full throttle remark from the beginning of the offseason ultimately netted the Red Sox Lucas Giolito, Vaughn Grissom, Liam Hendriks and Tyler O’Neill. Only O'Neill is healthy enough to play on Opening Day.

Considering the Red Sox have finished in the basement of the American League East each of the last two seasons, that haul isn’t inspiring optimism that Boston will show marked improvement in 2024.

But there is room to dream. The Red Sox are rolling with plenty of youth around the roster – especially in the rotation – an approach that comes with loads of inherent risk but also considerable upside if the youngsters can prove they’re ready to be big league contributors.

Until then, there’s healthy and deserved skepticism around this Red Sox team. Still, team president and CEO Sam Kennedy told The Greg Hill Show on Thursday that there is belief in the group they have.

“Yeah, I think we provided Alex (Cora) with a roster that is going to be vastly improved in all areas,” Kennedy said. “Now, what we can get out of them, what they can get out of themselves is still to be determined. But if we stay healthy, I think we can be in this thing. I think we can compete in the American League East, which is a really, really tough division. We’re eyes wide open on that, when you think about Baltimore and New York, Toronto and Tampa.

“But these guys have a chip on their shoulder, they’re on a mission. I really think if we can stay healthy, we can compete and surprise some people.”

Indeed, the division plays a big role in all of this. It’s plausible that the East sends four teams to the postseason, so perhaps the outlook on these Red Sox would be more optimistic if they were in the American League Central.

They’re not, though, so until they start putting things together – which clearly the organization believes is possible – they’ll be met with trepidation.