Red Sox announcer tries to fuel Yankees pessimism with new Alex Verdugo allegations

Has ... anyone heard this?

Adam Weinrib

Tampa Bay Rays v New York Yankees / Julio Aguilar/GettyImages

Though Yankees offseason acquisition Alex Verdugo came over from the Red Sox holding a "caution" sign, he's seemed to fit in nicely so far at camp, fulfilling Aaron Judge's long-time vision.

WEEI announcer Will Flemming, apparently, has different ideas, holding his very own Boston Tea-Spilling Party over the airwaves of Wednesday's Yankees-Red Sox exhibition.

Verdugo wasn't very popular during his final season in Boston, though he was the emotional leader of the 2021 Red Sox underdog ALCS team (and don't let any Bostonians tell you differently). He repeatedly clashed with Alex Cora over ... let's say, punctuality, leading to some benchings and an airing of grievances in the media (which is, as everyone knows, the healthiest way to handle these kinds of things).

According to Flemming on the broadcast, there are “already some rumblings of a lot of the stuff that hurt [Verdugo] in Boston, showing up behind schedule for things.” If so, those rumblings have only become public because of ... you, my man!

Will Flemming on WEEI, during Alex Verdugo’s AB, said that Alex is already running into the same issues (i.e. showing up late to meetings, games, etc) on the Yankees as he was on the Red Sox in past years.

I haven’t seen this reported anywhere?
— Justin (@JustinMLB) March 13, 2024

Yankees having maturity issues with Alex Verdugo? Red Sox announcer strikes back?

No one has mentioned this at all, meaning if it is true, the Yankees have done a very good job of handling things internally, and a Red Sox announcer just spitefully aired their dirty laundry, opening the door to questioning.

Could also be fake! Classic Boston, though. "Oooh, were you trying to keep that under wraps? Oooopsie! Sorry, I'm a lil' stinker."

There's a possibility that Verdugo doesn't fit in New York, either, a clubhouse that has traditionally been less willing than Boston to let stars be stars and operate on their own crazy schedules (Manny Being Manny, anyone?). Aaron Judge targeted Verdugo for a reason, though, and clearly believes he can keep the talented left-handed hitter in line.

Bottom line? Don't let Will Flemming's offhanded comment bring you down. There are important MRIs being exchanged at Yankees camp anyway. No need to give Verdugo a brain scan, too.

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard for 6 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast thrice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for 10 years. He was also a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.