What Alex Cora Recalls From Dustin Pedroia’s Red Sox Offseason Message

While the Boston Red Sox got to work in the offseason, ex-longtime second baseman Dustin Pedroia intervened to insert his two cents during a dinner hosted by the organization in February.

It’s rumored that Pedroia went full-out “Pedey” and relayed some roster recommendations to chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, among others. Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was in attendance for the dinner, cleared the air on Pedroia’s theatrics and the sincerity behind what was previously reported.

“The thing with Pedroia, and this is what people don’t know. … You cannot take Pedey seriously 100 percent,” Cora told WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” program Wednesday. “I think 75 percent of the things that he says, he doesn’t mean it. It’s a bravado thing, just this persona, you know, the little guy, ‘Oh, I can do it all, and I can say whatever I want to anybody.’ What I recall from the dinner, it wasn’t as it came out publically. Yeah, he was screaming at Sam (Kennedy), but it was having fun.”

Pedroia spent a 14-year big league career with the Red Sox, experiencing the success of three World Series titles before retiring in 2021. The four-time All-Star and 2008 American League MVP was best known in Boston’s locker room for his fiery personality, which always made its way on the field.

“He’s our guy, he’s our guy,” Cora added on Pedroia.

The specific free agent names Pedroia passed along weren’t revealed. Most recently, the Red Sox acquired starting pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa from the Tampa Bay Rays less than 24 hours before Thursday’s Opening Day matchup against the Seattle Mariners.