Ohtani a big chance for Sox

As a baseball writer in Boston the last 14 seasons, one insurmountable fact of life has been that the Patriots are a bigger deal than the Red Sox. The Patriots have rightfully dominated fan attention and media coverage going back to the ascent of Tom Brady.

But how much longer will that last?

The Patriots are 26-29 the last four seasons and haven’t won a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII. This season has been a disaster, and the future does not appear bright given the lack of playmakers and series of poor drafts.

The Red Sox should view this as an opportunity to claw back some lost ground by taking big steps to improve the roster and return to contention. We hear all the time that baseball is a business. They have been handed an opportunity to grow the business.

First step? Make a concerted effort to sign Shohei Ohtani, not a token one.

It seems obvious the Sox will take steps to improve their roster after consecutive last-place finishes. But with the Patriots in a fallow period, it makes even more sense to go big and pursue Ohtani. He would be a game-changer for the franchise on and off the field.

Ohtani would become the most notable athlete in the city and end the increasingly legitimate questions about how committed ownership is about winning another World Series.

In the last 10 months, Sox officials were booed at Winter Weekend, the team finished 23 games out of first place, and Fenway Park had plenty of available seats for out-of-town fans.

It’s going to take more to fix that than adding two starters and hoping Trevor Story remembers how to hit.

Other than to say several times that he likes playing at Fenway Park, Ohtani hasn’t indicated any particular love of Boston. But there are whispers among in-the-know members of the Japanese media that Ohtani is open to the idea.

If he’s willing to listen, the Sox have to leap at the chance.

Ohtani signed a multiyear endorsement deal with Brighton-based New Balance this year and chairman Jim Davis could lobby on behalf of the Sox. New Balance wins no matter where Ohtani plays, so that may not necessarily be a factor. But it’s an avenue to further gain his attention.

Ohtani will not pitch in 2024 while recovering from elbow surgery, so he’s not a perfect fit in the short term. But he can DH for a year then return to playing both ways in 2025 when he’s

30. There is risk, sure. But the Sox spent the last four years playing it safe and where did that get them?

It will come down to whether the Sox still have the willingness they once did to compete for the best players. If they do, signing Ohtani changes everything. Including which team in Boston commands the most attention.

A few other observations on the Red Sox:

■ It was a treat to spend a few minutes chatting with Jose Santiago at The Sports Museum event to honor the 1967 Red Sox this past week.

Santiago was 12-4 with a 3.59 ERA that season. He started 11 times and relieved 39 times, mixing in two complete games and five saves along the way. He took two losses in the World Series but also homered off Bob Gibson in Game 1, a 2-1 loss.

Now 83, Santiago remains involved in baseball. He calls winter league games on the radio in Puerto Rico and is closely following the career of his grandson Willie, a promising 16-yearold high school catcher in Florida. He also keeps an eye on the Sox.

“It was tough. They need more pitching,” Santiago said. “[Alex] Cora is an outstanding manager. He knows how to handle ballplayers. But I didn’t like the pitching. I told Cora they needed to make changes.

“They have to spend the money and get at least two starters and some arms in the bullpen, at least one lefthander. Give Cora the right team and he’ll be all right.”

Santiago has a son who lives in Salem and he loves visiting Boston. He has bad knees and uses a wheelchair to get around, but made his way to town this past week.

“I don’t want my friends to forget about me,” Santiago said. “I love the fans here.”

■ Losing 168 games over two seasons inevitably leads to changes and the Red Sox fired pitching coach Dave Bush and third base/infield coach Carlos Febles, along with Triple A pitching coach

Paul Abbott and assistant hitting coach Mike Montville.

Abbott was the biggest surprise. He had been with the Sox since 2011 and earned a steady stream of praise from pitchers he worked with, including major leaguers on rehab assignments.

But with the Sox refining their approach to development, Abbott was swept up in the changes.

■ Masataka Yoshida visited the Baseball Hall of Fame last weekend. His tour included a visit to the basement archives, where he saw the game-used bat he donated from the World Baseball Classic last March.

Yoshida also was interested in seeing how bats had changed over time, taking a look at different models throughout history.

Meanwhile the Sox are working to hire a new translator for Yoshida. The feeling was that his communication with the coaching staff could have been better.