Dustin Pedroia has had an excellent career during his nine seasons in the league. He has made four All-Star games, won three Gold Glove awards, a Rookie of the Year and an MVP award. For most players, that is an impressive career. Pedroia has done that by the age of thirty.
Pedroia also provides plenty of intangibles for the Boston Red Sox. Along with David Ortiz, Pedroia could be considered the heart and soul of the team. He provides plenty of grit, plays hurt, and wants to be out on the field every day. We all remember the images of Pedroia fielding ground balls from his knees before games despite being on the disabled list. There is certainly no questioning what he brings to the Red Sox in the clubhouse.
Yet, for as much as Dustin Pedroia brings off the field, he may well be in decline on it. A hard nosed ballplayer who frequently plays despite injured, Pedroia has dealt with a broken thumb, broken finger, a torn UCL in his thumb and an injury to his left hand which will require surgery. At this point, injuries have to be a major concern for Pedroia.
With these injury issues, Pedroia has seen his production decline every year since 2011, when he produced a .307/.387/.474 batting line in 2011. Before he was shut down for the season, Pedroia posted a .278/.337/.376 batting line. His OPS+ has decreased from 131 in 2011 to a barely above average 101 this season. Just one season into an eight year contract extension, Pedroia already appears to be damaged goods.
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Despite the popularity that Dustin Pedroia has amongst Red Sox fans, and how he is the beloved Petey, he simply is not worth that price at this point. With potential options in both free agency and the potential of Mookie Betts, it may be time to move on from Pedroia. Even though he may not bring back the same return he would have even a year ago, teams may be interested in bringing in a name player, hoping that they can get him healthy and productive.
Such a move would seemingly go away from what the Red Sox have been. They appear to prefer to hold on to their name players, continuing to pay Ortiz far above market value just because of how beloved he is. However, their willingness to trade another franchise player, Jon Lester, may signal a change in philosophy. Now, instead of chasing television ratings and trying to build another fraudulent sellout streak, the Red Sox seem to be more interested in making viable baseball decisions.
One such move would involve trading Dustin Pedroia. Due another $96.5 Million over the next seven years, that money may be better spent trying to fill out the other holes on the Red Sox roster. With the Red Sox potentially overcrowded outfield next season, moving Pedroia would open a spot for the promising Betts, while saving the Red Sox enough money to rebuild their bullpen or to put towards acquiring a desperately needed starting pitcher.
Trading Dustin Pedroia would not be a popular move for fans of the Red Sox. However, such a trade may be the right move for the Red Sox front office.