Boston Red Sox general manager Brian O'Halloran was asked Monday how the club plans to proceed with second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who has appeared in just nine games since the beginning of 2018 due to a lingering knee injury.
O'Halloran wasn't able to provide much of an update, other than to make clear the Red Sox will work with the 37-year-old to determine the best path moving forward.
"We talk to Dustin and his agents all the time, but I wouldn't get into the specifics of any of those conversations," O'Halloran told reporters during a video conference. " … Since Dustin is not a healthy player right now, I understand where the questions come from, but anything with Dustin, first of all, we would keep those conversations private. And Dustin’s gonna have the say in anything going forward with his career, and certainly as a Red Sox great and as someone who I've personally had the pleasure of knowing for many, many years now, we would give Dustin the respect of having input, of course, on everything that goes on with him and keep any conversations we have with him private."
Pedroia, who missed all of 2020, is under contract for the 2021 season and still occupies a spot on Boston's 40-man roster. It's possible he's played his final game, but nothing is official, and it remains to be seen how Pedroia's time with the Red Sox will end.
Whatever the case, Pedroia, a four-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, will go down as one of the most respected players in franchise history.
