Alex Cora left the Red Sox when they were 9-19. Now the team is at 13-21 under the interim manager Chad Tracy. Call it improvement or not, the Red Sox’s clubhouse insights are conveying a sad story.

Just a few days ago, Brayan Bello shared public discontent against Tracy for pulling him out from the mound. Garrett Crochet shared how Cora has paid the price for their inconsistencies. Amid all this chaos, the latest exchanges between Willson Contreras and Marcelo Mayer are portraying the picture that the Mets shared last year.

“To me, that’s kind of an excuse: blame the young guys. But at the end of the day, we’re all playing baseball, we’re all pros. We all know what we need to do. I don’t think we’re doing a good job with runners in scoring position. When you don’t do that, you don’t score runs,” Mayer responded to a statement made by Contreras.

It all started after Contreras was asked about the probable reasons behind the Red Sox’s slump. According to Sean McAdam of MassLive, Contreras pinned some of the blame on the team’s young players, a group that includes Mayer, because they might not have much experience going through slumps. While Contreras might have suggested how the Red Sox’s roster lacks experience, the team’s 23-year-old rookie took offense.

As per Mayer, blaming the young brigade sounds like an excuse, and in a team game like baseball, collective effort matters. And we can’t disagree with him. The Red Sox’s two prominent rookies, Mayer and Roman Anthony, are hitting .244 and .231, respectively. On the other hand, veterans like Trevor Story and Jarren Duran are hitting .208 and .186.

So, a few are still struggling, and as a result, the team is slumping. But what about the public display of different opinions? A rookie publicly contradicting a team’s veteran is not offering a positive vibe in the clubhouse. And the worst part was that there was more.

“After Cora got released or fired, the guys got loose a little more, because I feel like the tension was gone,” Contreras added.

Just a few days ago, Trevor Story called out the Red Sox management for firing Cora. “It’s up in the air what the true direction of the franchise is.” But Contreras feels Cora’s presence pressured the clubhouse.

We are yet to know who’s right here, but the Red Sox’s players fighting it out in public is what makes things odd for Boston.

The Red Sox pitchers are adding to the struggle

Amid the offensive struggle and players fighting it out publicly, the Red Sox’s pitching staff is making things worse.

Garrett Crochet was the main lead of Boston’s pitching. Last year, he established himself as an elite starter, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA and 255 strikeouts over 205.1 innings across 32 starts. He led MLB in total strikeouts and earned his second consecutive All-Star selection. In contrast, he is yet to showcase his worth in 2026.

Currently, he is standing with a 6.30 ERA and has recorded just 37 SOs. And the worst part is, he is now out with an injury. The big lefty was placed on the 15-Day Injured List towards the end of April. Then comes Ranger Suarez. The Red Sox signed him this year for a 5-year and $130 million deal. Result? He started the season slowly, securing 32 SOs and a 2.77 ERA, and he is now with right hamstring tightness.

Then other names like Bello and Johan Oviedo are struggling with a 9.12 ERA and 9.82 ERA. So, as Mayer had said, it is true that the team is yet to perform collectively. And under Tracy, hopefully, fans could see them performing with one goal. Although their clubhouse equation is offering such a vibe.