BALTIMORE — Multiple Boston Red Sox players expressed anger and confusion over the team’s decision to fire former manager Alex Cora and the pregame message from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
Veteran shortstop Trevor Story called Cora and others who were fired “some of the best coaches in the world,” and said he “felt like they didn’t get a fair shot.”
He also said the message and explanation from Breslow were not satisfactory and that he needed to talk to Breslow “today.” Story said he wished the clubhouse had been consulted first, but that’s “not the nature of the business.”
“If this shows us anything,” Story said, “it’s we’re here to play baseball, and that’s it. We don’t make decisions. We don’t have any input on that.”
Added right-hander Garrett Whitlock: “They made it very clear that we get paid to play baseball, and we need to just focus on playing baseball. … So that’s where we’re at.”
The players, who showed candidness rarely seen immediately after such drastic changes, did not speak during a pregame meeting, Whitlock said. They did not ask questions. Breslow spoke for two minutes, and new manager Chad Tracy spoke for three to five minutes. Red Sox team president Sam Kennedy and owner John Henry stood by a wall in the clubhouse during the meeting and didn’t speak.
Over and over again, players described a clubhouse in shock. They also expressed confidence in Tracy, and largely expressed confidence in the player group, though Story said, “It’s kind of up in the air what the true direction of the franchise is.”
At the start of clubhouse availability, outfielder Jarren Duran spent several minutes changing from one outfit into another as reporters hovered around his locker. Finally, he turned around, side-eyed a reporter who asked if he had some time, and waved the back of his hand toward the horde to dismiss them without saying a word.
This left 21-year-old Roman Anthony as the first player to speak for the team in the clubhouse in front of cameras.
“I don’t think anyone really expected it,” Anthony said of the decision.
As for the specifics of the meetings: “Everything that went on, I think I’ll let a veteran guy talk about that,” Anthony said.
