Ben Cherington’s introductory press conference had only just begun when the new general manager made one thing clear about his short-term plan for the Red Sox.

“There will be small things we’ll do differently,” Cherington said, “but we’ll continue to build on the culture that (former GM) Theo (Epstein) helped create here.”

Translation: Just because the Red Sox endured the worst September collapse in baseball history doesn’t mean Cherington will blow up the roster.

Truth is, there’s little evidence to suggest major changes are required. The Red Sox had a best-in-the-majors 81-42 record from April 16 through Aug. 31, and led the league in both runs scored (875) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.810), solid bang for a payroll approaching 170 million bucks.

But while the present nucleus is talented enough to win a World Series, the events of September — on the field and off — will continue to spark questions about whether this core group possesses the right leadership to achieve the pinnacle of success.

“I think we have some players who are reaching that point in their careers where they are probably ready to take on more of that role,” Cherington said. “There are some players who will take on more of a public, or visual, leadership role in respect to being a voice of a team or players. I think we have some guys who are going to be coming into the part of their career where they will be able to do that.”

A new voice in the manager’s office may help empower some players to take on greater leadership roles. And the potential subtraction via free agency of some of the Red Sox’ longest-tenured players (captain Jason Varitek and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, perhaps) may alter the clubhouse dynamic, too.

Dustin Pedroia leads primarily by example, the second baseman’s never-stop-hustling style setting a bar for the rest of his teammates. He’s also a motor-mouth in the clubhouse, and as he enters his seventh season, all with the Red Sox, there isn’t any reason he can’t be a vocal presence.

Likewise, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said in a recent interview that he will feel more comfortable taking a leadership role now that he has completed his first season with the team.

“It’s not something you can do right away,” Gonzalez said. “The first thing you have to do is build relationships with your teammates. Once they get to know you, they know your motives are right. That’s something I can do going forward now that I’ve been with the team for a full year and my teammates know who I am.”

But the biggest area where leadership appeared to be lacking was the starting rotation, where in-game drinking — “rally beers” or otherwise — has become the image of clubhouse turmoil.

Cherington has said he regards All-Star lefty Jon Lester as “an important part of our leadership core,” and based on a recent conversation with Josh Beckett, team president Larry Lucchino believes the right-hander is “highly motivated” in the wake of the pitchers’ transgressions.

“I think he feels like we as a team have something to prove, they as a pitching staff have something to prove,” Lucchino said in a WEEI interview Friday. “And I think you will see a highly motivated Josh Beckett. I know you will next year.”

Cherington is counting on it.

“We have a bunch of players that are really motivated by what happened at the end of the season,” he said. “If there are things that happened in the clubhouse this year that we feel need to be addressed, we’re going to do that directly to the players. I don’t believe that anybody — player, coach, front office — should be judged on one moment or one episode, one piece of behavior.

“I believe we have a lot of players in our clubhouse whose body of work is really good and are going to be a part of really good Red Sox teams moving forward.”