Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts Say Red Sox Had Clubhouse 'Tension' Last Season

Two of the best players on the Boston Red Sox acknowledged there were problems in the team's clubhouse last season.

Per ESPN.com's Scott Lauber, right fielder Mookie Betts said there was a "tension in the locker room" during the 2017 season.  

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts added the Red Sox had "headbutts" and "disagreements" on their way to a 93-win campaign and an American League East title. 

Neither player offered specifics about the tensions, though Bogaerts did say "we all know what was going on."

There were multiple instances last season in which Red Sox players were in the news for non-baseball reasons.

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia called out reliever Matt Barnes following an April incident when Barnes threw a pitch behind Manny Machado's head during a game against the Baltimore Orioles. 

Pitcher David Price was heard shouting at Comcast SportsNet Boston's Evan Drellich after a June 7 loss to the New York Yankees. 

One month later, Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe wrote a story about an incident during a Red Sox flight when Price got into a verbal altercation with NESN analyst Dennis Eckersley over a comment Eckersley made about the team during the television broadcast of a game. 

The Red Sox fired manager John Farrell after they lost to the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series. Alex Cora, who played in Boston for four years from 2005-09, was hired to replace Farrell.