
Papers: Napoli to sign Hojlund from Man Utd
Napoli confirms signing of Hojlund from Manchester United for ÂŁ38m.
The Boston Red Sox quickly addressed rumors of a clubhouse rift following comments from players Willson Contreras and Marcelo Mayer. Misinterpretations of their quotes led to speculation about internal conflict within the team.
Boston Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer and Willson Contreras
(Jesse Johnson/Imagn images)
The Boston Red Sox were supposedly caught in a "war of words" on Monday. At least, that's what some corners of the baseball internet assumed.
Willson Contreras had a quote on Sunday about the Red Sox's young hitters not being used to going through slumps. Marcelo Mayer had a separate quote about not wanting to excuse the team's young roster for the failure to perform offensively. The New York Post ran a story under the assumption the latter was in direct response to the former, and suddenly, it was gospel that this clubhouse was fractured.
On Monday, Contreras and Mayer both set out to debunk those narratives, stating explicitly that they weren't even referencing each other specifically.
âI think itâs unfair that it was tried to put me against my team when the thing I said wasnât even close to what I meant or tried to put me against my team,â Contreras sad through translator Carlos Villoria BenĂtez, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. âObviously, itâs hard to see. I feel like every time I say something or do something, they try to do the opposite. They try to put me against teammates or everybody else. Thatâs what I feel like.â
Mayer was dumbfounded that his comment was taken as a response to Contreras, and Cotillo pointed out that the day before, he had been asked a more general question that made no reference to Contreras' comments about the struggles of youth.
âI think things just got taken out of context. I didnât mean to take a shot at anybody, obviously, especially not to Willson," Mayer said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. "Willson and I have a great relationship. Heâs an amazing teammate. Heâs a great person. Heâs a true veteran of this game and we really respect him in the clubhouse and he helps us a lot."
The Red Sox went on to win Monday night's game against the Detroit Tigers, which would typically do more to calm the vibes in a clubhouse than anything said in the press. If we need to revisit the narrative that the veterans and youngsters aren't on the same page, we will. But for now, that seems like a nothing burger.
More MLB:Red Sox 21-Year-Old Blazing Trail Toward MLB After Fast Promotion
Willson Contreras commented that the young hitters on the Red Sox are not accustomed to dealing with slumps.
Marcelo Mayer stated that he does not want to excuse the team's young roster for their offensive failures, which was misinterpreted as a response to Contreras's comments.
Rumors suggested there was a 'war of words' among players, indicating a fractured clubhouse, which the team quickly moved to debunk.

Napoli confirms signing of Hojlund from Manchester United for ÂŁ38m.

Mikel Arteta celebra llevar al Arsenal a la final de la Champions League tras 20 años.
Arthur Blank promises to keep concession prices low for FIFA World Cup fans.
Valkyries GM addresses backlash over Flauâjae Johnson trade
Fluminense confirms the signing of Hulk, set to play after World Cup break!
Arteta: Arsenal fans set the standards after reaching Champions League final
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.