"Honestly, I don't care about anything he says" - Yankees star Alex Verdugo responds to Jonathan Papelbon branding him 'lazy'

The New York Yankees acquired Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox as part of a three-player package that included Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice.

In December, Verdugo expressed his excitement to start a new chapter in New York.

“I’m very very excited to work with Aaron (Boone). These guys are savages. I want to see some fire and fight for the guys, instead of airing people out,” said Verdugo via Yes Network. ”I’m really excited for this fresh start.”

The comments were also perceived as a dig at his former manager Alex Cora.

In response, former World Series winner Jonathan Papelbon called Verdugo "lazy" and "unproductive" on X (formerly Twitter).

“Verdugo I mean Vertigo is a b***h. Cora has his players and teammates' backs more than anyone in the game. You aired yourself out by being late, lazy and unproductive. If I played for Cora I’m drilling this b***h, just saying,” Papelbon wrote. on X.

When asked about Papelbon's comments, Verdugo told The Record and NorthJersey.com:

“Honestly, I don't care about anything he says. I don't know him personally. I've never even seen him around the clubhouse in the four years that I was with the Red Sox. He's always been a guy that's very emotional and kind of crazy in a way. He doesn't really care. He kind of just says what he wants, with no filter to him.

“But honestly, he has a right to his opinion, and if that's how he feels, that's how he feels. Hopefully, he feels better, he got his little reaction out, whatever. I don't care," he added.

Alex Verdugo’s role in the Yankees lineup

Alex Verdugo is set to begin his eighth season in the MLB this year with the New York Yankees.

Verdugo could be an excellent fit to play alongside the likes of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in the outfield.

With Verdugo on board, Judge can now switch from playing primarily in right field to center field, while Soto will take care of left field. This would mean that Verdugo will be stationed at right field.

Yankees General Manager Aaron Boone has already discussed this with Judge, and he seems open to the idea.

"We'll see how everything shakes out this winter. I've talked to Aaron about that. So I think Aaron's open to anything and ready for anything," said Boone via ESPN.

Recently, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported on Verdugo’s live batting practice in Tampa.

Verdugo may make his debut in pinstripes on Feb. 24 when the Yankees face the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.