Red Sox Players Fuming Over The Release Of Catcher

It's the second time this season that the Boston Red Sox have sent shockwaves (in a bad way) through their clubhouse by sending out a very popular catcher. The first time was with the trade of veteran Christian Vazquez. Now it's the equally popular Kevin Plawecki, who was DFA'd on the weekend.

“It was very difficult,” veteran pitcher Rich Hill said. “Throughout the clubhouse, it was a tough one for everybody. “What everybody sees out in the field and in the dugout... what you don’t realize is the humanity side of this game. We’re not just all numbers. We’re human beings. And removing a guy like that from the clubhouse is a big hit for a lot of guys. I would say everybody in here.”

Plawecki was a 'beloved figure' in the Red Sox clubhouse, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. 

The reasoning behind the move, notes Cotillo, is that the team wants to see more of young catchers Reese McGuire and Connor Wong down the stretch. But the timing of the move, sending out Plawecki with less than three weeks left in the season, was troubling for many. 

Nate Eovaldi, a close friend of Plawecki, and his roomie the past two springs, said he was "shocked." 

"I talk to Kevin all the time. We lived together in spring training the last two years. I know his family, his kids. It’s extremely difficult. I felt like everything he has done for the organization and the player he is, it’s unfortunate to see him go, especially on those terms, with only three weeks to go in the season. I haven’t talked to (GM) Chaim (Bloom) or anybody else to get the true reasoning behind it... So for him to be let go, especially this time of year, is disappointing or me."

This Red Sox season hasn't gone well, from beginning to end. To finish up on this sour note for the players that are still around will certainly leave a bad taste. 

Photos: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports, Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise / USA TODAY NETWORK