Red Sox release player after spate of offensive tweets

Boston Red Sox minor league player Brett Netzer has been released from the team following a barrage of offensive, homophobic and racist tweets.

Netzer, 25, who hasn’t played since 2019, requested his release Saturday and the team granted it, a team spokesperson told NBC News Monday.

In a series of tweets on Friday and Saturday, Netzer attacked the team’s Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom, calling him a “bad actor” and a “fraud,” while targeting his Jewish identity. 

The team confirmed to the Boston Globe the posts were his and not a hack. 

In one tweet Saturday, he took aim at Bloom for supporting Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community.

In his posts, Netzer targeted transgender people. In another, he said Black people should “go back to their roots and start to re-establish their true black culture.”

In another tweet, he wrote: “I am a racist. I do sometimes make assumptions based on a persons race/ethnicity/culture. Glad that is out of the way.”

The Athletic’s Chad Jennings was the first to report on his release following his incendiary posts.

His words drew the ire of fellow Red Sox minor leaguer Brendan Cellucci.

“It’s safe to say Red Sox fans have been shocked by the comments of a former player,” he tweeted. “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 a third-round pick in 2017, but hasn’t hit the field since 2019 after the minor league season was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic and he was placed on the restricted list of the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, on May 4, 2021 for undisclosed reasons.