AL MVP Mookie Betts won't accompany Boston Red Sox on White House visit

Some important Red Sox won't set foot in the White House.

American League Most Valuable Player Mookie Betts said on Sunday he won't be part of the World Series champions' traditional ceremony with President Donald Trump in May.

“I won’t be going there. I decided not to,” Betts told the Boston Globe at Saturday's New York Baseball Writers Association of America dinner, where he accepted his MVP award.

Betts isn't the only team member who's publicly announced he won't make the trip to the White House. Third baseman Rafael Devers said earlier this month he wanted to focus on getting ready for the season.

Boston manager Alex Cora, who has been an outspoken critic of the Trump Administration's response to Hurricane Maria's impact on his native Puerto Rico, has said he's considering skipping the event as well.

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The Globe says other team members – including pitchers Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and Matt Barnes – have confirmed they will be going.

The Red Sox had their planned visit, originally scheduled for Feb. 15, postponed due to the government shutdown. They will now make the trip on May 9, an off day after a three-game series in Baltimore.

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