Ex-Red Sox Star Doesn't Mince Words When Speaking About Alex Cora

Verdugo has already adjusted to the other side of the rivalry

Scott Neville | Dec 22, 2023

Ex-Red Sox Star Doesn't Mince Words When Speaking About Alex Cora /

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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.

More MLB: Astros Ace Reportedly On Trade Block; Red Sox Listed As Top Landing Spot

Published Dec 22, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu