During his post-trade conference call with Yankees reporters earlier this week, former Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo sounded excited for a new beginning in New York. So much so, he also mentioned how much he values a manager who'll have his back and not air the team's dirty laundry -- perhaps call it a jab at his now-former skipper, Alex Cora.
Verdugo's not-so-subtle comments sparked the ire of Red Sox fans, and also grabbed the attention of the team's all-time saves leader. Jonathan Papelbon ripped into Verdugo in a social media post via X/Twitter on Friday, calling him "late, lazy, and unproductive." Papelbon's criticism didn't end there either, as he expressed support for Cora by saying, "If I played for Cora I'm drilling this b----, just saying." Papelbon addressed his post on-air with WEEI hours later.
"I tweeted what I tweeted, I think we know where I stand on this," Papelbon explained to Rob Bradford and Mike Kadlick, who were filling in on Jones & Mego. "The game doesn't have a place for this BS, calling each other out on stuff that isn't even really true. Dude, you don't play hard. That's why you're not in a Sox uniform anymore... Just hold yourself accountable -- there's zero accountability here. To me, this is billboard material. The Sox will use this next year when they play the Yankees... No question about it.
"It's bad all the way around. Just move on, man. Don't throw stones in a glass house, that's what's going on... I know for a fact that Cora goes to the grave for his players and teammates. [Verdugo] isn't a Mike Trout or Shohei Ohtani. He's not a premium player. That's why we got rid of him. If he was a premium player and could actually affect the game in a good, positive way, you don't think we would've kept him?... I'd expect him to be a little bit better than to go off and start saying this about a former manager."
Verdugo, who was dealt to the Yankees in early December for three pitchers, had a complicated relationship with Cora. This past season, he was benched in June due to a lack of hustle, and two months later, he was benched again for reportedly arriving late to a game. Verdugo addressed those situations in early October, reportedly saying, "I think for me there were certain things that could've maybe been handled a little bit differently."
In four seasons with the Red Sox, Verdugo slashed .281/.338/.424 with 124 doubles, 43 home runs, and 206 RBI across 2,071 plate appearances. While his place in the Yankees' lineup is yet to be determined, he'll play alongside superstar sluggers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who've combined to hit 361 homers since the 2018 season. The Red Sox will have to wait a while for their first date with the Yankees in 2024, as the rivalry won't return until June 14-16 at Fenway Park.