Ex-Red Sox Star Doesn't Mince Words When Speaking About Alex Cora
The Boston Red Sox made a bold move when they sent one of their best players to the New York Yankees earlier this offseason.
The trade was centered around outfielder Alex Verdugo, who overstayed his welcome in Boston after multiple disputes with manager Alex Cora.
"I’m very excited to work with Aaron (Boone)," Verdugo told the media on Thursday. "I’ve seen the way he has his players’ backs. The one that really (stands out) to me is 'These guys are savages!' He’s yelling at the umpire. That’s something I want to see out of my head coach, man. I want to see some fire, some fight for the guys. Instead of airing people out, have their backs."
The final line was a clear shot at Cora, who called Verdugo out to the media multiple times during their overlap with the Red Sox.
It's disappointing to hear these comments from Verdugo, but he plays as somewhat of a heel and clearly loves to have a chip on his shoulder.
The 27-year-old was good to our show, the ITM Podcast. He even wore our merch on the field pre-game and his entire family sported our "Please Be (Expletive) Fair" Merch made about his hilarious comments after one of his many walk-offs last season. I was absolutely a part of the Alex Verdugo Fan Club.
With that said, Cora was not the reason Verdugo dogged it on the basepaths that time early in the season. He was not responsible for Verdugo showing up late. He simply addressed something he cannot continue to let happen.
It's unfortunate how much these comments will impact the Red Sox fan bases' feelings toward Verdugo -- who outside of that one incident last year, always seemed to put it all on the line for his team and appeared to truly care for the Red Sox organization.
Hopefully he still gets a standing ovation when he returns to Fenway Park.
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