Red Sox pitcher Matt Dermody is designated for assignment after 2021 homophobic tweet resurfaces
Daily Mail The Boston Red Sox have been forced into damage control after a homophobic tweet from pitcher Matt Dermody resurfaced.
The 32-year-old shared a tweet in 2021, when he was still a member of Japanese team the Saitama Seibu Lions, which declared homosexuality a sin.
His tweet, which appeared to be addressing Pride month, claimed that it was the 'truth' that homosexuals would go to hell.
'#PrideMonth. Homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God,' Dermody had written.
'They will go to hell. That is not my opinion, but the #Truth. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9. May we all examine our hearts, ask Jesus to forgive us, and repent for our sins. I love you all in Christ Jesus!'
The Red Sox are claiming they were unaware of the tweet as the left-hander had deleted it before signing with Boston in January.
Boston claimed once it learned of it, team officials met with Dermody, who went through mandatory anti-discrimination and harassment training in March.
'What Matt posted in 2021 was hurtful - and we addressed this with him when we learned about it after he joined the Red Sox in 2023,' team president and CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. 'We cannot dictate the religious beliefs or political views of our players and employees, but we do require they treat people in our organization and ballpark with respect and professionalism.'
