None of this was stated or true. I predicted he'd be likely to be hurt again as small players who play balls out tend to break down more not less especially after incurring two injuries to hands and wrist the past two years and now just a few months after I said it, it happened again, yet many claimed I was a fool for making such claims, well who was right?
The situation in the OF has changed to some degree and I outlined that and noted the need is not as dire as it once was. I promoted the idea because a lack of talent in the OF and there was nothing on the farm, which BTW is something we have both agreed on but go on and play to the masses by all means. Are you supposed to trade a player whose not earning their contract and expect something of value? Are players who are earning their contract not traded regularly? What scenario makes it "Okay" to trade? Do tell.
The obvious one is matching your strength with another teams need, that's what I did.
How can he be so valuable to the Sox yet no other team would offer matching value? Is this a tangibles debate the kind we ridicule Yankee fans for with calming eyes Jeter? I wanted to take advantage of the high value people place on what he was and many here claimed will/would still achieve but you want to have your cake and eat it to, sorry but you can't do that. Talk out of one side or the other.
Surely a fairly healthy Pedrioa is going to be among the top 5 positional players in the Sox org. next season, thanks Captain obvious, he'll likely be far better. That is not saying a whole lot as this young team with several more knocking on the door (Swihart, Cecchinni, Castillo, plus several pitchers) will go through a few years of growing pains and is not likely to seriously contend until at least 2016, ergo the term the next great Red Sox team, meanwhile Pedrioa's value continues to decrease. Why not explore the possibility beforehand rather than wait until it's to late, which I now think it is. I stated from the start I did not want to trade him just cause, but only if we could land a good young player and in five minutes I came up with a central piece to a trade, 26 YO RF lead-off hitter Kole Calhoun (OPS+ of 129 & 130 the past 2 years, which Pedroia has surpassed once) from the Angels and he's hit HR's in 3 straight games during a penant chase. The incumbent at second for the Angels is Kendrick who has 1 more year on his deal at $9.5M.