A Good Double Entendre
For starters, Price has an opt-out after this year and seems likely to exercise it. This is not a man who enjoys Boston’s brand of hospitality.
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Fellow lefty Drew Pomeranz needs no such clause as he is an unrestricted free agent after this season, as is closer Craig Kimbrel. The guess here is that Drew will get more than his current 8.5 million moving forward, probably a prohibitive price for a return.
And if the two starters do leave, it might bring a premature close to the Red Sox run, originally planned to end after 2019. Porcello will be a free agent after that season. Recently re-signed Mitch Moreland’s two year deal also ends at the same time.
And even the best value of all, Chris Sale, will be gone after 2019.
In fact, he might go after this season. The Sox have an option on him for ’19 but his price goes up to at least 15 million, considerably more than the current 12.5 per annum.
That might be worth it for another shot at a title, but is perhaps fool’s gold for a decomposing team.
Not All Crops are Equal
In addition, the home grown players are likely to present more conundrums than solace one year from now. Bradley will be under control but might be an albatross by then. Mookie Betts will be around, but likely to get another pay raise for 2019.
His millions might be the single reason the Sox cannot come up with more for Pomeranz.
And Bogaerts will be in his final year of club control. Without Price or Pomeranz, though, the Red Sox might think his value higher as a trade chip. And that could trigger a sell-off of Marlins’ proportions after the 2018 season.
That’s a possible future Petey must be fully aware of.
Especially as the Red Sox will have to pay Pedroia 40 million from 2019-2021. That is value they are unlikely to see after this year. And that’s a possible future Boston must be fully aware of.
But that will be okay as they are going to get more than what they are paying for this season.
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You can see Pedroia’s year coming. A sense of urgency, a chance to take down the hated Yankees and a win a championship over their defeated corpses, and a newly restored vitality will all make this a season to remember.
The Red Sox will get vintage Petey in the last year of his prime. They will get the hustle and energy, big hits and timely home runs. Whether or not they get a championship remains to be seen.
But what they will get is Dustin Pedroia. And that is more than most clubs can hope for.