In a forecasted twist of events, Larry Lucchino is set to be replaced by current Boston Red Sox COO Sam Kennedy as the CEO of the franchise, Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe first reported. 

While majority owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner are still interested in keeping Lucchino involved in the franchise at the executive level, the 70-year old's days of meddling in the baseball operations of the team are through. With his contract set to expire at the conclusion of the 2015 season, it was seemingly only a matter of time before the team found a worthy replacement at the CEO position. 

Lucchino told Shaughnessy, "I’ll be 70 in September. That’s sort of why I’m ready to step back." 

Over his 13-year tenure with the Red Sox, beginning in 2002, Lucchino played a crucial role in revamping beloved Fenway Park into one capable of keeping up with the new-age features which other ballparks around the nation have adopted. He also forged valuable ties with corporations in the New England area, increasing the influence and the reach of the Boston franchise by a large margin. The Pittsburgh native also had a hand in baseball operations as well. 

His heir to the throne of CEO, Kennedy, is a native of Brookline, Massachusetts, within walking distance of Yawkey Way. Like Lucchino, Kennedy abandoned the San Diego Padres front office in 2002 to join the Red Sox, and oversaw the broadscasting, marketing, sponsorship, and ticketing aspects of the franchise's operations over the past 13 seasons. 

He also played a role in the founding of Fenway Sports Management, which is involved in the ownership of the New England Sports Network broadcasting station, Liverpool FC, and Roush Fenway Racing. 

Said Lucchino to the Boston Herald, "The truth is Sam is an important part of this puzzle. He's been working for me for 20 years, right out of college. He's certainly my choice, as well as that of John and Tom." 

A major factor in announcing the decision at this time concerned the fact that Kennedy, 42, had been receiving interest from a number of different franchises across North America for similar positions, including an offer he had on the table this past winter from Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., a Toronto-based group which stakes claim to the NBA's Toronto Raptors and the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Henry and Werner have placed a premium on building their front office with executives who have played a role in improving the franchise, thus their initiative to promote Kennedy rather than relinquish him to another franchise. 

In terms of the position of president of the Red Sox, Fenway Sports Management president Michael Gordon has been rumored to be a top candidate, while Werner's name has been rumored to be in the conversation for the role as well.