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Minor league player Brett Netzer was released by the Boston Red Sox following a series of offensive, homophobic and racist tweets shared over the weekend.
NBC News reports Netzer, 25, requested and was granted his release from the team on Saturday (February 26), a spokesperson for the Red Sox confirmed on Monday (February 28).
Netzer shared a series of tweets on Friday (February 25) and Saturday in which he attacked Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom, referring to him as a "bad actor" and a "fraud" while targeting his Jewish identity.
The Red Sox confirmed to the Boston Globe that the posts were shared by Netzer personally and not part of a hacking incident.
Netzer also took aim at Bloom for supporting Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community, as well as posts targeting transgender people.
The 25-year-old also suggested Black people "go back to their roots and start to re-establish their true black culture" and also wrote, “I am a racist. I do sometimes make assumptions based on a persons race/ethnicity/culture. Glad that is out of the way.”
Chad Jennings of the Athletic was the first to report on Netzer's release following the slew of tweets over the weekend.
Netzer's offensive tweets drew criticism from Red Sox minor league pitcher Brendan Cellucci, who tweeted, "It’s safe to say Red Sox fans have been shocked by the comments of a former player. I don’t speak for the organization, however I will say that player’s comments don’t reflect the reputation and standard we uphold. Our organization promotes respect and love for all, period."
Netzer was selected by the Red Sox in the third-round of the 2017 MLB Draft, but hadn't appeared in a minor league game since 2019 after the season was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The infielder was part of the Red Sox's Double-A affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs, in 2021, but placed on the restricted list by the team on May 4, 2021 for undisclosed reasons.