WooSox owners reach agreement to sell team (report)

It didn’t take long for Worcester Red Sox principal owner and president Larry Lucchino to find a new ownership group for the Red Sox’s minor league affiliate. Industry sources told the Boston Globe’s Michael Silverman that Diamond Baseball Holdings has “agreed” to buy the WooSox. Silverman said the deal still needs to be approved by MLB.

The team moved to Worcester three years ago after 47 years in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The WooSox played their first season at Polar Park in April 2021 after signing a 35-year lease. They would play in Worcester for the next 32 years. Lucchino was part of the ownership group that purchased the then-PawSox in 2015 and helped bring them to the heart of the Commonwealth in a deal that closed in 2018. But he announced on the Acknowledged Boston podcast earlier this month that he is “time” to sell the team. “I’m 78 now,” Lucino told co-drivers Bob Lovell and Mike Lynch. “I’ve been doing this for over 40 years, so it’s time to sell the team and enjoy a happy retirement.” Lucino is a longtime baseball executive who began his career as president of the Baltimore Orioles in 1988.

It’s unclear how much the WooSox sold for. Although he no longer owns the Worcester Red Sox, Lucchino remains chairman.

Other Red Sox affiliates of Diamond Baseball Holdings include the Portland Sea Dogs and Salem Red Sox. We own and manage a total of 25 minor league baseball teams.

“Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) is committed to enhancing the fan experience by creating ‘powerhouses’, driving dynamic brand engagement and reflecting the evolving landscape of minor league baseball,” the website states. “It’s rooted in tradition, community and deep respect for the sport of baseball.”

The WooSox open the 2024 season on March 29 against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. According to Baseball America, they ranked seventh in minor league baseball in attendance in 2023 (519,651).