John Henry: In A "Particularly Challenging" Offseason, Trading Mookie Betts Was "One Of The Toughest, Most Difficult Decisions We Have Had To Make"

John Henry, February 17, 2020, press conference:

This morning, before answering your questions I would like to begin by addressing Red Sox fans directly about this offseason. We are used to challenging offseasons, but this one has been particularly challenging.

So let me begin by saying that while they've been presented with extraordinary challenges this off-season, those of us sitting here today know that our baseball operations department under [Chief Baseball Officer] Chaim [Bloom] and [General Manager] Brian [O'Halloran]'s leadership has handled these challenges extremely well. We are confident and optimistic while at the same time cognizant of how all of these challenges affect you, Red Sox fans.