The start of something new. Or maybe much of the same. The 2024 Boston Red Sox face an almost impossible feat: Keeping lifelong fans invested in the team.

After an uninspired 2023 season, the Red Sox finished 78-84, which was last place in the American League East. 2023 marked the third time in four years that the Sox were at the bottom of their division.

Red Sox Nation was looking toward the 2024 offseason as a beacon of hope. This message was also spread by team chairman Tom Werner, who said the team would be going “full throttle” to acquire key players. This has not happened, and the comment was taken back after a few weeks.

The Red Sox have signed only a handful of new players. Many believe the decline in team spending is due to the new accusations made by Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the organization owned by billionaire John Henry and others involved in the team. In the last 20 years, FSG has acquired several professional teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and Liverpool F.C. of the Premier League. They recently finalized a $3 billion deal with the PGA Tour, giving Fenway Sports Group a minority share in the golf giant. Instead of ownership being fully invested in the Red Sox, like in previous seasons, they now have other regions and diehard fans to accommodate.

However, there is one thing Red Sox fans are excited about regarding this year’s team: the return of Theo Epstein. Known among Red Sox fans as simply “Theo,” Epstein worked as the President of Baseball Operations during the Sox magical curse-breaking 2004 championship run–along with winning another World Series in 2007. Epstein moved on from the Red Sox in 2011 to work for the Chicago Cubs, where he played a crucial role in breaking their own 108-year World Series drought.

The Red Sox hired Epstein back as a “senior advisor” to the entirety of FSG, leading many fans to question whether the hiring was just a stunt to hide the fact that their team had been neglected. Even though the future may look bleak at the moment, every fan knows it’s a long season.

The Red Sox will play their 2024 home opener at Fenway Park on Tuesday, April 9th, at 2:10 PM against the Baltimore Orioles. This will be the 124th home opener played at Fenway Park since the park opened in 1912.