Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia is about to have a career year
By Cory Claus
The Red Sox reaffirmed their status as contenders with the signing of J.D. Martinez. But the most important addition to this team will be a rejuvenated Dustin Pedroia.
The Boston Red Sox came into spring training with visions of glory. That’s a sight second baseman and four-time All-Star Dustin Pedroia always has. But there is a big difference between spring training dreams and regular season realities.
Petey must know that by now.
He has after all played on two championship teams. And helped the Sox win the division four times.
Conversely, he’s also played on three teams that finished last in the AL East. He watched as his 2011 team suffered an historic September collapse, only Big Papi being brave enough to panic. And he has felt the sting of being booed off the field by the Fenway faithful.
So, admit it or not, Dustin knows not every Red Sox team is really good enough to win the World Series.
But this one is.
And it should be. Boston is in the middle of its most recent championship plan. They started it back in 2014 by acceding to developing players. That cleared the way for current regulars such as SS Xander Bogaerts, CF Jackie Bradley and RF Mookie Betts to gain big league experience.
That was Only the Beginning
Satisfied with phase one, they brought in President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski to do what he does best, namely, to put a win-now team on the field every year.
That means selling off every part of the farm for now players and maxing out the budget. It means getting the best free agents and trying to create a juggernaut.
This is all part of the natural life-cycle of an organization and the most fun one. It is here, in phase two, that teams such as the Sox expect to win division titles and championship belts. If not, they enter the time of aging players no longer worth their contracts and of selling off assets to restock the farm.
Yes, GoT’ers, winter arrives.
The Sox are not there just yet. They are still solidly in fun phase two. But it’s coming and soon. And the problem for Boston is that the payoff so far has been mixed.