"Late Tuesday afternoon, with Major League Baseball free agency underway and Red Sox fans hoping for a splashy signing or two, Will Flemming took to the social-media platform X and raised their hopes. Wrote Flemming, the Red Sox' radio voice, from his eponymous account: "I believe the next 72 hours are going to make a lot of Red Sox fans smile. Wa[y], way too much chatter and info from people I respect.""
"Free agent slugger Pete Alonso was a seemingly turnkey fit with the power-needy club, but to sign the ex-Met, it would almost certainly require offering the kind of long-term, big-money contract for an established player that the Red Sox have abstained from over the last half-dozen years or so. So when ESPN's Jeff Passan broke the news at just before 1 p.m. Wednesday that Alonso had signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the division-rival Orioles and it became clear that the Red Sox had essentially abstained again by making a reportedly smaller offer, Flemming found himself caught in a vortex of vitriol."
"Just five minutes after Passan's scoop, Flemming tweeted, "Twitter is a pretty reasonable place, huh? . . . I'm a liar! I have no credibility! Did I say they would sign Alonso? I did not. Did I say that I thought they would do things to make the team better? Yes I did."
An optimistic X post suggested imminent roster moves that would please Red Sox fans. The timing coincided with MLB free agency and raised expectations for signing a power bat. Pete Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles after reportedly receiving a larger offer, revealing that the Red Sox made a smaller offer. The unexpected outcome triggered intense backlash from fans toward the broadcaster who posted the optimistic message. The broadcaster responded defensively on X minutes after the signing report, denying claims of promising Alonso while reaffirming belief in future moves to improve the team.
Read at Boston.com
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