At a press conference Monday, Valentine blasted a Boston Globe report that said he and general manager Ben Cherington disagreed over roster decisions, saying he and Cherington are still learning how to work together and that they have no lingering problems.
"I think it's lazy journalism," Valentine said. "That's what I think. I think it's an easy story to write that has no validity."
Pitcher Daniel Bard's possible move to the starting rotation and the question of who should play shortstop were two areas the Globe story suggested Cherington and Valentine disagreed. Cherington has acknowledged that the two have different opinions but said it has not been a problem.
Valentine said he and Cherington may even have fewer differences of opinion than Valentine has had with other general managers because they have not been working together very long. Valentine compared their relationship to the one he had in Texas with Tom Grieve, who was already with the Rangers when Valentine was hired as manager.
"There was a lot of sharing he had to do to get me caught up," Valentine said.
Valentine, Cherington and their staffs are expected to make roster decisions Monday night, ESPN reports, although it is not known when their choices will be made public.
