Boston Red Sox owner John Henry strongly denied a Fox Business report that he and the ownership group have been quietly shopping the team to potential buyers.

Responding shortly after the report became public on Thursday, Henry told The Boston Globe, "A sale of any kind is so far from our thinking it hasn't even come up apart from technical planning issues involving death or disability. This report is completely without foundation.

"Regarding unnamed sources: Any sale discussions that may have taken place were missing three key people -- Larry (Lucchino), Tom (Werner) and me. The Sox and any of the other components of (Fenway Sports Group) are not for sale and will not be for the foreseeable future."

After Fox reporter Charlie Gasparino went on Boston sports radio WEEI to stand by his report, Henry went on the air to refute it once again.

"Sometimes journalists have sources that are completely off base, don't know what they're talking about," Henry said on WEEI. "I guess that's what I would have to say having listened to the interview.

"Whoever (Gasparino) is talking with they are certainly, especially when he mentions there has been talks with a buyer and so forth, it's just so far out of the horizon of things that have been going on here."

According to Henry, there has been no discussion, even internally or among minority partners, about selling the team.

"We're committed to this franchise for the long term," Henry said. "When we get up in the morning we don't think about anything other than what we can do. In fact every day we're having meetings here at Fenway about 2013 and beyond. I don't think any of us involved are in the financial situation where we think about our personal net worth or what happens tomorrow affects us."

He later added: "We're in this for the long term. We're committed to the Red Sox and committed to getting back to where we need to be."

Lucchino, president and CEO of the Red Sox, had a similar response earlier in the day to WEEI, calling rumors of a possible Red Sox sale "nonsense."

"(The owners) feel the same kind of competitive juices that the fans feel, that I feel," he said. "There's an opportunity here to put the team back on the track it was on for a decade. There has not been one word, one word of discussion regarding that. We are committed, better or worse, we are the guys to kick around."

Henry and Lucchino also cleared up rumors about Lucchino's future with the team. Henry confirmed Lucchino will be back next season, which had been questioned by some after the president did not answer a reporter's inquiry about whether he had a signed contract for 2013.

Henry confirmed that Lucchino has indeed signed his contract.