The Red Sox fan base is rightfully annoyed. America is pissed off too. Shohei Ohtani, who does not need any more help, just got a free endorsement from the quarterback of one of the most visible franchises in American sports. Get this man a Team USA jersey next time. It is not complicated.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman addressed that situation in December, speaking to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. He acknowledged that the club had less "heavy lifting" to do than in previous offseasons. He pointed to the outfield and bullpen as places they could add but also said they were cognizant of the fact that the roster is getting older, with many of their stars being well into their 30s.
I just felt that, for all the storybook narratives, all that stuff - we're trying to win the World Series, and I'm going to go with people that I feel can handle the moment. And part of the moment is potentially failing. And I understand what it would have looked like for me to make that decision for Clayton, this being his last year, all that stuff. But it's like, I'm still not going to run from potential failure.