BOSTON -- A festive Boston Baseball Writers Dinner on Thursday served as a primer for another big Red Sox event -- the second annual "Winter Weekend" at Foxwoods Resort and Casino from Friday to Sunday.
Though the Red Sox announced details for the event a week ago, they updated the list on Thursday with a marquee addition. Ace lefty David Price is expected to make an appearance on Saturday.
"[Winter Weekend] is a big event," shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. "It will be great to see all my teammates and the fans excited. It's something to look forward to."
Red Sox Nation has been beaming with excitement since Price signed a seven-year, $217 million contract in December.
"Our pitching definitely got a big upgrade," Bogaerts said. "We now have that stopper like we had with Jon Lester in 2013. Hopefully it all plays out in the end."
The Red Sox have a stacked list of present and former teammates expected to attend this weekend. Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez and Wade Boggs will be among those who take part in panel discussions, as will Roger Clemens, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Luis Tiant, Mookie Betts, Bogaerts, Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia.
While there will be events all weekend, the panel discussions will be scheduled throughout the day on Saturday, giving fans an opportunity to hear from players and coaches.
Fans will get a sense of the inner workings of the franchise when president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Mike Hazen take part in the "State of the Red Sox" panel.
Boggs, Clemens, Evans, Bruce Hurst and Rice will relive the glory days of the pennant-winning season of 1986 in a panel dedicated to the 30-year anniversary of that memorable season.
Martinez and Varitek will take part in "Battery Mates," sharing their vast knowledge of the game.
The "Around the Horn" panel -- including Bogaerts, Deven Marrero, Pedroia and Travis Shaw -- will discuss the intricacies of playing the infield.
Outfield analysis will come from Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Rusney Castillo, Evans, Fred Lynn and Rice.
Kids will get a chance to become reporters when they get to ask questions of their favorite players.
One of the most entertaining panels will be the Red Sox game show, where current players face off against coaches and alumni.