MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — Jon Lester said upon signing with the Chicago Cubs this offseason that his phone call to Dustin Pedroia was the hardest to make.
The conversation wasn’t exactly fun for Pedroia, either.
Pedroia and Lester developed a special bond during their time together in the Boston Red Sox organization. So while Pedroia certainly understands the business aspect of baseball, he couldn’t help but be a little reflective Saturday when asked about Lester choosing the Cubs over the Red Sox in free agency.
“It’s tough. It’s part of the business. It’s the part that you don’t really understand. It’s not fun,” Pedroia said at the Red Sox’s Baseball Winter Weekend event at Foxwoods Resort Casino. “I was his host on his recruiting trip at Arizona State. I’ve known him forever. It’s definitely tough. It’s going to be weird showing up to spring training and not seeing him there.”
Lester never attended Arizona State. The left-hander instead signed with the Red Sox after being drafted in the second round in 2002. It wasn’t long before him and Pedroia reunited, though, as Boston drafted the scrappy second baseman in the second round two years later.
Lester and Pedroia both debuted in the majors in 2006. They helped the Red Sox win World Series titles in 2007 and 2013 while becoming impactful players at their respective positions. Their roads now are veering off in different directions, but it’s not before an eventful free agency process in which Pedroia tried to lure his former teammate back to Boston.
“I’m his friend. I’m pretty involved in a lot of things in his life. I’m a lot smarter than him, let’s be honest,” Pedroia joked. “Wouldn’t you talk to someone smarter than you?”
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
