BOSTON — The owners of the Boston Red Sox are denying reports that they might try to buy the struggling Boston Globe.

The team released a statement Thursday that said neither owners John Henry and Tom Werner nor any other affiliates of the Red Sox were involved in efforts to buy the newspaper.

Published reports have claimed Henry was exploring a deal to take control of the Globe along with The New York Times Co.'s stake in the Red Sox.

The Times Co. announced in January it wanted to sell its 17.8 percent stake in New England Sports Ventures, which owns the Red Sox, Fenway Park and other properties. The Times Co. also has threatened to shut down the Globe unless its unions agree to cut annual labor costs by $20 million.