The Boston Red Sox apparently are well aware they may suffer from an enthusiasm deficit in 2020.

The Red Sox contacted "a bunch of social media influencers" in the Boston area in the hopes they would promote the team after it traded superstar outfielder Mookie Betts and pitcher David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers, WEEI's Rich Keefe reported Tuesday on "The Dale & Keefe Show."

.@Keefe21:



"According to a source...a couple of days after the Mookie Betts trade, the Red Sox reached out to a bunch of social media influencers in and around Boston...they reached out to them hoping they would promote the Red Sox..."#SCOOP — Dale & Keefe (@DaleKeefeWEEI) February 18, 2020

AUDIO of @Keefe21 #Scoop on the Red Sox contacting social media influencers in and around Boston about promoting the Red Sox... two days after the Mookie Betts trade 😱 pic.twitter.com/Hmtl4QDmRI — Dale & Keefe (@DaleKeefeWEEI) February 18, 2020

Keefe added some of these "influencers" don't typically post about sports, but have significant followings on Instagram, Twitter, etc. that the Red Sox apparently want them to use to drum up interest in the 2020 club.

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If true, that plan of attack isn't a very good sign for a team whose ticket sales are down about 15 percent from last year, according to Red Sox president Sam Kennedy, who pointed out in Monday's press conference that tickets are still available for many 2020 games at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox' arrow was already pointing down this offseason after they won 84 games and missed the playoffs in 2019.

Then the team traded its franchise player in Betts, an unpopular move among fans that Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom admitted will make the team worse in 2020.

Red Sox ownership was adamant Monday that trading Betts before he hit free agency was in the franchise's best interest long-term. But ownership also is clearly aware that trading Betts affects its short-term business -- and reportedly is pulling out all the stops to remedy that.