Would the Red Sox be Wise to Trade Dustin Pedroia?

(Photo Credit: Forrest Mulheron/New England Baseball Media)

By: Forrest Mulheron

Dustin Pedroia has been a mainstay in the lineup and face of the Boston franchise since 2007, but is it time the Red Sox move on from the second baseman?

There is no doubt Pedroia, a Woodland, CA native, is one of the fiercest competitors in the game. He brings an unparalleled intensity and has the dirt dog attitude Red Sox fans love. Pedroia's maximum effort on the field has not come without it's downside, he has found himself on the disabled list several times going back to 2010.

(Photo Credit: Forrest Mulheron)

Pedroia is under contract through the 2021 campaign and coming into this season has accrued nine years of major league service time. Once Pedroia reaches 10 years of service time, the Red Sox will not be able to trade him without his consent as part of MLB's 10-5 rule. His current contact contains a limited no-trade clause, but that only covers a small number of teams according to reports.

Despite Pedroia's popularity among teammates and fans alike, it may be time the Red Sox begin considering the potential returns they could get for the All-Star second baseman.

Pedroia signed a very team-friendly contract extension during the 2013 season worth seven years and $110 million. Coming into the 2016 season he is owed salaries of $13M, $15M, $16M, $15M, $13M and $12M. Despite being 32 years old and prone to injury, those would be highly attractive numbers to almost any team considering the $20M+ contracts lesser players are getting on the open market.

It is no secret the Red Sox are getting younger with names like Betts, Bogaerts and Swihart expected to be mainstays of Boston's lineup for years to come. After trading several top prospects to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Craig Kimbrel, Pedroia could bring a return that would add to a farm system that is still considered one of the best in the game - or even a major league player ready to add to this season's playoff run.

Last March, the Red Sox signed young Cuban phenom, Yoan Moncada, to a deal worth $31.5 in guaranteed money. Moncada plays second base, and although he looked rough around the edges last year on defense, he carries tremendous offensive potential and would make an obvious replacement for Pedroia in the future.

Until then, the Red Sox have other options that could be considered. Mookie Betts was a second baseman until being moved to center field while with the Portland Sea Dogs in May of 2014. With veteran David Murphy in Red Sox camp this spring, they could consider moving Betts back to second and starting Murphy in right field - granted he doesn't exercise his opt-out at the end of spring training.

This is of course just heavy speculation, but it is an interesting thought to consider trading Pedroia before the season's end - no matter how unlikely it may be.