Boston Red Sox trading Dustin Pedroia wouldn’t be surprising
Boston Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski left Boston prospect junkies hurting on Friday, when he sent top young outfielder Manuel Margot to the San Diego Padres in a deal for closer Craig Kimbrel. Dombrowski said earlier in the week that “at some point, we’re going to most likely do something that is painful,” and based on the haul going to the Padres, this seemed to potentially fit the bill.
But don’t be surprised if this wasn’t what the ex-Tigers general manager was referring to.
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Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Clay Buchholz, and other big names could be on the move in Boston this winter. But any of the three departing wouldn’t be such tough pills to swallow for the Red Sox faithful. While a trade of Mookie Betts or Xander Bogaerts would be significantly stronger daggers, but seem more likely to be kept as cornerstones rather than used as trade chips.
Dustin Pedroia, however, is more expendable with Betts and Brock Holt both capable of playing second base. Dombrowski will have a tough time finding takers for Ramirez and Sandoval, but Pedroia presents a much more manageable opportunity to move $13-million off the books for next season, and to free up significant space in future years as well.
Coming off a season in which he played just 93 games, Pedroia’s trade value is down this winter. But the opportunity to add a controllable top-tier second baseman would appeal to plenty of clubs, and would also give Dombrowski the opportunity to regain some prospect depth, fill another big-league roster need or, if nothing else, free up cash to go after pitching on the open market.
If Betts stays in the outfield, Holt could take over full-time at second, giving Boston a controllable young duo of Holt and Bogaerts up the middle for seasons to come. Taking Holt out of the outfield would also allow the Red Sox to potentially pursue a power bat in right, or open up some playing time for Rusney Castillo, Jackie Bradley Jr., Travis Shaw, or prospects Garin Cecchini or Henry Ramos later in the season.
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Boston has replacements for their longtime franchise cornerstone, making Pedroia’s value in Boston lower than it could be to other teams in baseball. It won’t be an easy sell to the fan base, but could ultimately be the necessary evil that Dombrowski alluded to earlier in the week. It’s never been against the new Red Sox head of baseball ops to take drastic measures to make his teams competitive, and it wouldn’t be so surprising if Boston’s former American League MVP gets mentioned in trade rumors as the winter progresses.