Returning Pedey!

[a700hitter]

All the grit has rubbed the top of his head bald. Too much grit!

Stanton?

[mvp 78]

It looks like everything is coming up MVP 78!

 

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/10/10/dustin-pedroia-contemplates-surgery-and-his-future/Kthma2B2bgDOSUi2gcBJiI/story.html

 

 

For members of the Red Sox, the final images of Dustin Pedroia in 2017 were hard to watch: The out at third base in Game 1 that highlighted his eroded speed; the lost footing on a routine grounder in Game 2; the wheelhouse pitches that he’s spent a career driving off and over the Green Monster but that he could not, in Game 3, drive beyond the outfield grass; and finally, his inability even to run all the way to first base on his series-concluding ground out to second in Game 4.

 

With his left knee essentially shot, Pedroia had nothing left. And now, at 34, he enters an offseason of considerable uncertainty.

 

Offseason surgeries — on knees, wrists, and fingers — have become almost an annual rite of passage for Pedroia. This winter might be different. Pedroia spent virtually the entire season playing on the injured left knee, one that required surgery last offseason and that seemingly never recovered from the hard slide by Orioles third baseman Manny Machado on April 21. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said during the season that the issue is one he’ll have to manage for the rest of his career.

 

“It was [difficult],” Pedroia conceded of his season, “but it was for a lot of guys.”

 

He required three separate stints on the disabled list, including two for his knee that cost him virtually all of August. While he posted a solid average (.293) and a strong .369 OBP, his power was sapped (.392 slugging) for most of the season outside of July — just before his knee prevented him from playing for nearly five weeks.

 

While Pedroia initially enjoyed a two-week surge upon his September return, and his efforts to contribute drew considerable admiration in the clubhouse, his production nosedived starting with a 15-inning game Sept. 15.

 

Starting with that 0-for-9 contest, he went 3 for 36 to conclude the regular season and 2 for 16 in the playoffs, culminating in Sunday’s 0 for 5 in which his called strikeout with the bases loaded and one out in the second inning stifled a rally and led to the ejection of manager John Farrell.

 

His struggles against Houston continued a pattern. Perhaps because he’s been injured at the finish line of several recent seasons, his postseason numbers have been poor dating to 2009, with the second baseman posting a .211/.274/.274 line in his last 26 playoff games starting with the 2009 ALDS sweep at the hands of the Angels.

 

Meanwhile, the knee injury impaired other potential contributions. His defensive range may have been diminished. He graded as two runs below an average second baseman, according to Baseball Information Solutions (Fangraphs, by contrast, had him as 6.7 runs above average, as measured by Ultimate Zone Rating). His baserunning ranked near the bottom of the league, as he took an extra base just 16 percent of the time on hits while getting thrown out seven times.

 

Unquestionably, Pedroia was limited on the field, while spending significant time on the sidelines. Now, the question looms as to whether a solution is in sight.

 

Pedroia said after Monday’s season-ending loss that he would be examined Tuesday to figure out a proper course of action, including whether surgery might be necessary. That said, the potential procedure sounds like one that could affect his availability in 2018.

 

“I’m going to go talk to the doctors about that,” Pedroia said when asked if he’d need surgery. “Obviously we had to try and find a way to do what we did so I could be out there.

 

“But if you were to get it fixed, the recovery is a long time, so I have a lot of things to weigh in with the doctors and figure it out.”

 

Health is the foremost issue that hovered over Pedroia this year, but it wasn’t the only one. The retirement of David Ortiz unquestionably changed the clubhouse dynamic. Pedroia, the team’s longest-tenured player, was expected to assume a larger leadership role.

 

Publicly, he didn’t fill the void left by Ortiz (not that anyone necessarily could) — and if anything, he raised questions about the clubhouse culture with the two foremost off-field controversies of the year.

 

Pedroia’s public criticism of his teammates’ handling of the Machado slide created noise. So, too, did his self-proclamation of leadership in the middle of the controversy regarding David Price’s verbal ambush of Dennis Eckersley. (“For whatever people say from the outside, ‘Oh, we don’t have a leader,’ I’m standing right here, been here for a long time. . . . You don’t see anybody else standing up here, do you?”)

 

Yet while such incidents made for easy talk-show fodder, within the clubhouse they had little impact. There, both through example and advice, Pedroia remained a cornerstone.

 

“All the young guys respect him,” said third base coach Brian Butterfield. “He does a lot of things behind closed doors that nobody knows about. It’s very different [from being a public face of the organization] but it’s very effective.”

 

Nonetheless, injuries tend to make it more difficult for players to lead. And at a time when the Sox lineup is now defined chiefly by its emerging young core, a leadership transition may be inevitable — partly behind closed doors, where the Sox hope to see some of their now-established young big leaguers become leaders, and publicly, where another player might be more comfortable speaking for the team.

 

“The culture is changing,” acknowledged Butterfield. “We always remind [the young players] that the culture is changing but we’re not there yet. Whenever we have cultural breakdowns, which happen over the course of the year, it’s up to those guys to police themselves.

 

“Buck Showalter always told me when I was a young coach in the big leagues, starting in the Yankees organization, that the best clubhouse you can have is a clubhouse that polices itself.

 

“I feel like we’re gaining that here. There are enough guys doing it right, understand what the proper culture is. It’s getting more and more where they’re policing themselves.

 

“It doesn’t always have to be on [the manager]. It doesn’t always have to be on coaches to reprimand behind closed doors.

 

“Pedroia does a good job of talking to guys individually. It’s not confronting. It’s a respectful way of saying, ‘You can’t do that.’ We’re not there [with the young players] yet, but that’s OK, as long as the graph keeps going up.”

 

Pedroia, Butterfield said, is a part of ensuring that it does just that. Yet at age 34, with 12 big league seasons of wear on his body, he may be approaching a crossroads related to at least his on-field role, if he hasn’t already arrived at it.

 

Pedroia enters the offseason — perhaps for the first time of his career — as something of an uncertainty, with a need to figure out not only how to restore the health of his knee but also what role and workload might best permit him to maintain it.

 

Yet those considerations about the future were not the ones that weighed on him as he left the Red Sox clubhouse Monday.

 

“You deal with a lot of stuff all year to get to this point,” said Pedroia. “When it ends, it stinks, man. It’s just tough. Tough to deal with. That’s really all I can say.”

 

[mvp 78]

Speier should really stop buzzarding tho.

[a700hitter]

Speier should really stop buzzarding tho.

And they never provide us with any attribution. Lacking in journalistic integrity.

[moonslav59]

Would Pedey retire like Dempster did?

 

Getting us off the hook for the remaining salary owed?

[a700hitter]

Would Pedey retire like Dempster did?

 

Getting us off the hook for the remaining salary owed?

If he is dumb, but I wouldn't count on it.

[mvp 78]

Would Pedey retire like Dempster did?

 

Getting us off the hook for the remaining salary owed?

 

He has too much grit to retire.

[a700hitter]

He has too much grit to retire.

And that too!! LOL!

[Spudboy]

All the grit has rubbed the top of his head bald. Too much grit!

 

Are we still talking about Stanton?????

[mvp 78]

Are we still talking about Stanton?????

 

Sorry, post title is concerning Pedey. All the mentions of chronic injuries lead me to think it was a post about Pedey. My bad.

[Spudboy]

Would Pedey retire like Dempster did?

 

Getting us off the hook for the remaining salary owed?

 

That would be cool.

 

I doubt it, though.

[oldtimer]

Excellent post MVP covering the Pedroia situation. As a long term Sox fan, I love what Pedroia has done for the club and meant to the club but there comes a time when the skills diminish due to injuries, age and wear and tear. Few want to criticize a vet like Pedroia but it is evident that he will need medical help that might require a long recovery and like in horse racing, the older they are, the recovery always falls short of previous best performances. So we need contingent plans for 2nd base for 2018. Some suggest a super utility player like Nunez is an answer to play 75 games a year or more at 2nd but Nunez may have his own long term recovery. I think we have to look at a quality alternative to both Pedroia and Nunez going forward.

 

I don't wish Pedroia any bad karma, but recognize his days of being a productive every day player may be coming to an end.

[mvp 78]

Excellent post MVP covering the Pedroia situation. As a long term Sox fan, I love what Pedroia has done for the club and meant to the club but there comes a time when the skills diminish due to injuries, age and wear and tear. Few want to criticize a vet like Pedroia but it is evident that he will need medical help that might require a long recovery and like in horse racing, the older they are, the recovery always falls short of previous best performances. So we need contingent plans for 2nd base for 2018. Some suggest a super utility player like Nunez is an answer to play 75 games a year or more at 2nd but Nunez may have his own long term recovery. I think we have to look at a quality alternative to both Pedroia and Nunez going forward.

 

I don't wish Pedroia any bad karma, but recognize his days of being a productive every day player may be coming to an end.

 

I like Nunez, but he'll be getting starting player salary next year. Would be better to find a bench guy with upside to fill that role.

[moonslav59]

I like Nunez, but he'll be getting starting player salary next year. Would be better to find a bench guy with upside to fill that role.

 

Nunez can easily get 550 PAs without being FT at any position for us. That's with no major injuries to Pedey or others.

 

Any OF'er who sits, is rested or injured can be replaced by Nunez in LF and sliding players around, if needed.

 

Nunez can cover 3B, SS and 2B.. He could also play any of the above position as that player DHs.

 

He can DH himself.

 

That being said, there is a limit on what we should pay and how many years to give him. I'm thinking maybe $18-19M/2 yrs of $25-26M for 3 years- tops. If that doesn't get him here, we move on.

 

Maybe he liked it here. He hit well in Fenway. He might go one year, in hopes of having a huge year and hitting paydirt next winter.

[Kimmi]

It's hard to know what it might take to get Stanton. We know the Marlins can't afford to pay him what he's making, but he's no salary dump either.

 

Kimmi seems to think they'll give him away for next to nothing.

 

I don't think it will take what others have suggested.

 

Trading Bogey makes the most sense to me, but I'm not sure he's high on their list, unless they turn around and flip him for more prospects.

 

I'd offer Bogey, Chavis, Swihart, Beeks and Shawaryn. We could then sign Cozart and get the two bats we need.

 

Stanton DHs, and HRam shares 1B with Travis, I guess.

 

Trading JBJ forces Betts to CF and Beni to butcher RF.

 

No, I never said that.

 

I said that teams were not willing to put a claim on Stanton because they did not want to risk possibly having to take on that monstrous contract.

[cp176]

I like Nunez, but he'll be getting starting player salary next year. Would be better to find a bench guy with upside to fill that role.

 

Has anyone heard anything about Hernandez? I kind of felt that he would be the guy who ultimately would replace Pedroia. No info about his surgery or anything.

[Spudboy]

Nunez can easily get 550 PAs without being FT at any position for us. That's with no major injuries to Pedey or others.

 

Any OF'er who sits, is rested or injured can be replaced by Nunez in LF and sliding players around, if needed.

 

Nunez can cover 3B, SS and 2B.. He could also play any of the above position as that player DHs.

 

He can DH himself.

 

That being said, there is a limit on what we should pay and how many years to give him. I'm thinking maybe $18-19M/2 yrs of $25-26M for 3 years- tops. If that doesn't get him here, we move on.

 

Maybe he liked it here. He hit well in Fenway. He might go one year, in hopes of having a huge year and hitting paydirt next winter.

 

Hah! You are tightening your purse strings!

[moonslav59]

No, I never said that.

 

I said that teams were not willing to put a claim on Stanton because they did not want to risk possibly having to take on that monstrous contract.

 

Doesn't that imply you think there was a chance the Marlins might have given him away for nothing except paying the contract?

 

[moonslav59]

Has anyone heard anything about Hernandez? I kind of felt that he would be the guy who ultimately would replace Pedroia. No info about his surgery or anything.

 

I've always been very high on Marco.

 

Sadly, I would not go into 2018 with any expectations. We need a better plan, even if just for one year as we hope Marco or someone else steps up..

 

[Station 13]

Has anyone heard anything about Hernandez? I kind of felt that he would be the guy who ultimately would replace Pedroia. No info about his surgery or anything.

 

Hernandez might be challenged to replace Brock Holt role. He isn't the answer.

[cp176]

Hernandez might be challenged to replace Brock Holt role. He isn't the answer.

 

I'm not sure that he is the answer either. I just don't think I know what the question is really. Is Pedroia going to be able to play more than half a season as a second baseman for us next year would be the question I would ask? And I guess that a full year of Hernandez might even give us more production than Pedroia is going to give us anyway. Will we ever really know whether or not Nunez's knee is going to be 100%? If it isn't I wouldn't sign him. I think that even thinking about using Pedroia in a part time dh role is ridiculous. A singles hitting on occasion beat up former star isn't going to help us at all. The reality for me is that it is possible that we might have to accept the reality that Pedroia just ain't what he used to be. His production both at the plate and in the field is replaceable.

[cp176]

I've always been very high on Marco.

 

Sadly, I would not go into 2018 with any expectations. We need a better plan, even if just for one year as we hope Marco or someone else steps up..

 

 

 

I was just kind of asking for any possible Hernandez updates but now that you have mentioned it I'll just say that if I could I would trade you one Hernandez for one Pedroia (if Hernandez is healthy) right now and I would not look back. I'm starting to think that the day of Pedroia is coming to an end. I would take a chance on a younger, faster player right now without regret.

[S5Dewey]

Am I the only poster who's still absolutely outraged about Machado's cheap shot on Pedey that essentially cost him this season and possibly his career?? And now some people want to trade for Machado???????????????

 

If a guy beat up one of your family members would you then hire him to do some carpentry for you because "he does good work"?

 

f*** Machado. Sideways with a porcupine.

[Bellhorn04]

Am I the only poster who's still absolutely outraged about Machado's cheap shot on Pedey that essentially cost him this season and possibly his career?? And now some people want to trade for Machado???????????????

 

If a guy beat up one of your family members would you then hire him to do some carpentry for you because "he does good work"?

 

f*** Machado. Sideways with a porcupine.

 

I have total respect for this position.

[SoxnCycles]

Am I the only poster who's still absolutely outraged about Machado's cheap shot on Pedey that essentially cost him this season and possibly his career?? And now some people want to trade for Machado???????????????

 

If a guy beat up one of your family members would you then hire him to do some carpentry for you because "he does good work"?

 

f*** Machado. Sideways with a porcupine.

 

Nope, I dislike enough players on this team.

I don't want to add another.

[moonslav59]

I was just kind of asking for any possible Hernandez updates but now that you have mentioned it I'll just say that if I could I would trade you one Hernandez for one Pedroia (if Hernandez is healthy) right now and I would not look back. I'm starting to think that the day of Pedroia is coming to an end. I would take a chance on a younger, faster player right now without regret.

 

Trading Pedey, if he'd okay the deal, would help us not having to worry all the time plus save us money, but I doubt he OK's any trade.

[illinoisredsox]

Am I the only poster who's still absolutely outraged about Machado's cheap shot on Pedey that essentially cost him this season and possibly his career?? And now some people want to trade for Machado???????????????

 

If a guy beat up one of your family members would you then hire him to do some carpentry for you because "he does good work"?

 

f*** Machado. Sideways with a porcupine.

 

I agree. Plus, there have been other instances of him going in with what could generously be termed "questionable" slides. I know he did it with one of the Yankee middle infielders this season and I'm sure there have been others. I'm a little surprised no one has gone into third with spikes a little high on him (another plus of sliding feet first).

 

You would think as a former middle infielder he wouldn't do that kind of crap.

 

Marvelous talent, but don't want him.

[moonslav59]

I agree. Plus, there have been other instances of him going in with what could generously be termed "questionable" slides. I know he did it with one of the Yankee middle infielders this season and I'm sure there have been others. I'm a little surprised no one has gone into third with spikes a little high on him (another plus of sliding feet first).

 

You would think as a former middle infielder he wouldn't do that kind of crap.

 

Marvelous talent, but don't want him.

 

But, but, but, he's "CLUTCH!"

[illinoisredsox]

But, but, but, he's "CLUTCH!"

 

Let's not start that again. That whole seemingly endless shtick has already ruined several threads.

[S5Dewey]

But, but, but, he's "CLUTCH!"

 

I don't care if the guy has an OPS of 2.00 WRISP. Stand for something!!