A Red Sox official told at least one player at the beginning of the managerial search that they "weren't going to hire Bobby Valentine or someone like that," according to a clubhouse source. The conversation suggests that Valentine was perceived by some as a darkhorse candidate that would not be popular with some players. "They're going to have a mess on their hands," the source said when asked what would happen if Valentine, who at that time was just one of several candidates, was hired. ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney had heard similar rumblings, citing sources Wednesday saying that "some Red Sox players have been upset" that Valentine had emerged as a candidate and have been "grumbling to each other, through texts and phone calls."