Former Red Sox star runs into hilarious roadblock while bashing Manny Machado

Former Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon had a lot to say about Manny Machado. The San Diego Padres star is embroiled in controversy for soft-tossing a baseball towards the Los Angeles Dodgers. How dare he!

Dave Roberts wasn't shy about defending the Dodgers from the slowest-moving baseball of all time. Roberts claimed Machado put the Dodgers dugout in danger for a baseball that hit the ground at least three times before reaching himself and the players.

"It was unsettling," Roberts said. "Obviously I have a relationship with Manny from years past. There was intent behind it. It didn't almost hit me because there was a net. And that was very bothersome. If it was intended at me, I would be very -- it's pretty disrespectful. So, I don't know his intent. I don't want to speak for him. But I did see the video. And the ball was directed at me with something behind it. But I don't know what led to that."

If the intent was to send a message to LA, Machado failed miserably. That throw had a better chance of squashing a bug than actually hurting a Dodgers player.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason

Jonathan Papelbon couldn't be more wrong about Padres, Manny Machado

Has Manny Machado been on the wrong side of some fiery in-game arguments? Sure, I'll be the first to admit as much. However, this is not one of those times, which made the following exchange between Papelbon and a Padres fan all the more hilarious.

As the fan pointed out, Papelbon once got in a scuffle with his own teammate, Bryce Harper, when he played for the Washington Nationals. That season started with postseason aspirations in Washington.

"It's squashed and it's good, we've moved on," Papelbon said at the time. "I grew up with brothers, he grew up with brothers, I view him as a brother."

That, uh, doesn't sound like ideal leadership from a veteran in the clubhouse. Harper is still playing, meaning there's a decent age gap between the two. What was Papelbon thinking?

I struggle to fully accept it, but I can understand why Dodgers fans are upset with Machado. Papelbon, however, ought to take a look in the mirror before he makes such an outrageous comment.