BOSTON — Both on and off the field, this promises to be a winter unlike any other for the Red Sox.

Boston is facing significant challenges related to both its roster and its finances. Generally, a club in a major market can use the latter to address the former.

The COVID-19 pandemic could change that. The Red Sox are expecting to absorb losses of more than $100 million. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is unlikely to carry what in certain past instances has been a blank check to help pull Boston out of last place in the American League East.

“We’ll have a pre-COVID era, a COVID era, and I cannot wait for the post-COVID era,” Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said. “Will it have an impact on our budget? Yes, of course it will, because of the devastating impact it’s had on our revenues this year.

“Obviously next year is uncertain. That said, I don’t know what the outlook on 2021 is yet with respect to the virus. As that becomes clear we’ll be able to act in real time and make decisions.”

The Red Sox have reset their penalties with respect to the Competitive Balance Tax. All it cost them was a fourth time in the divisional basement since 2012. Boston has also captured two World Series titles and four A.L. East crowns in the last nine years.

“As we go forward, we are looking to bring that consistency to the table and be knocking on the door of a division championship and a pennant and a World Series with greater regularity and greater frequency,” Kennedy said. “I think it is something that’s important to strive for, and you have to set goals so we know where we’re going as an organization.”

First up for the Red Sox front office is hiring the club’s 49th manager — the fifth since Terry Francona took his leave after eight seasons. Ron Roenicke’s club option for 2021 was not exercised. Alex Cora, who guided Boston to its most recent title in 2018, still looms despite a suspension handed down by Major League Baseball that ends at the conclusion of the World Series.

“I just want to be very clear that Chaim and his team will run the process and ultimately make the decision on who the next manager of the Boston Red Sox will be,” Kennedy said. “We are not going to talk about candidates right now. I’m sure at some point it will be appropriate to and Chaim will address that.”

Bloom declined to specifically evaluate Cora’s potential candidacy when he spoke with the media on Sunday. He commented generally on what he’ll be seeking in a manager when the question was put to him again on Tuesday.

“I would say that one thing really good managers have in common is they put their players in a really good position to succeed,” Bloom said. “They get a lot out of their players. They’re great partners for the front office. They’re great partners for the staff and, really, for the whole organization. They’re consistent. They’re true to themselves.

“I think that’s something when you look around the league and you look at all the elite managers, they all have those things in common. There are so many different ways to express those characteristics.”

The next Red Sox manager will inherit a pitching staff that set a new franchise worst in earned-run average and topped baseball in a host of the wrong categories. Boston’s offense also struggled in spots, particularly at designated hitter and second base. It’s incumbent upon Bloom to be creative if necessary while improving the team.

“I think we just have to have our information in a good place and make sure we’re ready to adjust,” Bloom said. “I think once we go into the offseason — as we would normally do — we’ll make sure we’ve had contact with every other club and know what they’re looking for and how we might fit into their plans. That might also help us make decisions on free agents.”

Should the Red Sox rebound in 2021, who might be there to witness it? Kennedy said the club submitted a plan — one declined by local and state government officials — to host as many as 7,000 fans at games in September. Boston will continue to work on that front by observing the New England Patriots, who are crafting their own proposals for Gillette Stadium throughout their ongoing season.

“We’ve been studying vaccine and therapeutics and a realistic timetable,” Kennedy said. “It’s real tough. It seems like this virus is going to be around for a while. Hopefully advancements will come soon.

“I guess the appropriate way to answer the question because we don’t know what next year is going to look like with respect to public gathering and crowds — is we will be prepared for every scenario.”

What exactly will the interest level be in a Red Sox team coming off a disappointing finish and lacking an obvious star? Mookie Betts was a homegrown, generational talent who the club failed to retain long term, ultimately trading him to the Dodgers in February. There is no current Boston player possessing the widespread appeal of David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez or Manny Ramirez.

“To me, relevancy speaks to competitiveness,” Kennedy said. “We need to be competitive year in and year out.

“Am I worried about not being competitive? Yes, very worried. It keeps me up at night. I know it keeps these guys up at night. We’re here to win championships. We want our fifth ring. We’ve got four of them and we want our fifth.

“We’re going to do everything we can this offseason, next year, into ‘22 and beyond to bring another World Series championship to Red Sox fans. That’s what they deserve, and we’re going to do everything we can to make that happen.”

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25