Inside The Red Sox

Brock Holt Airs Out Wild Incident Involving 2018 Red Sox Player

There were allegedly some wild moments during that season
Jackson Roberts|
Apr 20, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Fans line the field in front of the Green Monster as the Chicago White Sox warm up before a game at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Apr 20, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Fans line the field in front of the Green Monster as the Chicago White Sox warm up before a game at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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The 2018 Boston Red Sox will always be remembered as the most prolific team in franchise history. However, according to one of the players on that team, not everything that happened was smooth sailing.

Utility man Brock Holt, who became the only player in Major League Baseball history to hit for the cycle in a postseason game that year, recently appeared on the "Section 10 Podcast." During his interview, he recounted a story from the 2018 season that was hard to forget.

The conversation had turned to the Red Sox cutting ties with superstar Rafael Devers for reasons other than his production on the field, and Holt indicated that at one point, he saw a teammate let go for something far more outlandish than anything Devers was ever accused of.

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Holt's story about batting practice incident

Brock Holt
Oct 22, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt (12) speaks to reporters during media day one day prior to the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

"We had a guy or two in '18 like that," Holt said, in reference to a question about players who caused issues in the clubhouse. "And we got rid of them."

"We were in Tampa, and we were in a circle stretching before BP, and having a good ol' time. And this someone looks around at all of us and says, 'You know what? I'm going to bring a gun to the field tomorrow and kill all of you.' And then he looks straight at me and says, 'And you're gonna be first.'

"And I was like, 'Dude, I know you're probably joking, but you can't say that.'"

Holt did not specify the teammate by name. The only Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays series at Tropicana Field that month took place from May 22-24, 2018.

On May 25, the Red Sox designated first baseman Hanley Ramirez for assignment. Per the ESPN transactions log, there were no other players designated for assignment in the months April through June.

The Red Sox went on to win 108 games in the regular season, then bulldozed their way through the playoffs to claim their fourth World Series championship this decade. But clearly, not every day during that season was a walk in the park.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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