The text message that started it came from Gonzo's phone, but reportedly not from him.
A new report paints Adrian Gonzalez as a Red Sox conciliator, not a mutineer.NEW YORK - According to the New York Daily News, departed catcher Kelly Shoppach was the author of the text message that led to a meeting of 17 Red Sox players with ownership in July.
Initially, Adrian Gonzalez was considered the source because the message came from his cell phone.
Rather than serve as instigator, the new report paints Gonzalez in a much more flattering light as a conciliator.
The report portrays him as uncomfortable with an uprising, but one who thought if the were was to be communication with management, it should come from the highest-paid player and not a backup catcher.
Shoppach's relationship with Valentine was never considered good, perhaps partly because the manager was believed to be an early fan of bringing Ryan Lavarnway up.
It boiled over when Jarrod Saltalamacchia got hot and Shoppach became upset over lack of playing time.
Shoppach, who was traded to the New York Mets Tuesday, said he had no responsibility for the Red Sox situation and otherwise declined comment.
A story of the July 26 meeting in New York was broken by Jeff Passan of Yahoo!Sports. While not disputing the meeting took place, Red Sox ownership and players have charged the tone of the gathering was much different than the mutinous setting Passan described.
At the heart of the meeting, his story indicated, was dissatisfaction with manager Bobby Valentine by many of the players.
Several players have denied they were trying to get Valentine fired. David Ortiz did not attend the meeting, but has defended Valentine as a victim of team injuries and undeserving of scapegoat status.