Alex Verdugo has escaped Boston, but after taking a parting shot from his old manager, can't escape the wrath of old Red Sox.
Verdugo, traded from the Red Sox to the rival Yankees after a productive but occasionally tumultuous four-year stint in Boston, said he looked forward to a fresh start in the Bronx. And noted he'd strongly his new manager, player-friendly Aaron Boone, to Alex Cora.
"I’m very, very excited to work with Aaron.," Verdugo said during his rollout to New York media. "I’ve seen the way he has his players’ backs. The one that (stands out) for me is when he yells at the umpires, ‘These guys are savages.’ That’s one thing I want to see out of my head coach. I want to see some fire, some fight for the guys.
"I think, just instead of airing people out, have their backs."
It's clear now that one man's airing out is another's motivational tactic. Cora said before the 2023 season that he'd like to see more out of Verdugo, who was largely a league-average hitter with a .745 OPS in Boston.
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Yet Verdugo was benched in August, at which time Cora said the club "took a step backward as a team." While he did not stipulate a reason for the benching, MLB.com reported that Verdugo reported late to the park; punctuality was also a problem when Verdugo was a Dodger, before Los Angeles traded him as the centerpiece in a package to obtain former MVP Mookie Betts in 2020.
Amid that backdrop, former Red Sox closer – and Cora teammate – Jonathan Papelbon responded to Verdugo's complaints.
"Verdugo I mean Vertigo is a (expletive)," Papelbon said on social media. "Cora has his players and teammates backs more than anyone in the game. You aired yourself out by being late, lazy and unproductive. If I played for Cora I’m drilling this (person), just saying."
Alas, Papelbon hasn't pitched since 2016. For his part, Verdugo hopes donning pinstripes will afford him a fresh start akin to his freshly saved face, per Yankee guidelines.
"I’m really excited for this fresh start to get with the guys,," he says. "Just change the narrative, man."