Pedroia/Cano: Is Dustin over-paid?
By Earl Nash
Dustin Pedroia, the “guts” of the team, recently signed a 7-year contract with the Sox; he will be 37 in 2021, the last year of the contract. How does his salary compare to Robinson Cano and other star players in MLB? Is he over-paid or under-paid?
| 2014 | 30 | Boston Red Sox | $12,500,000 | ||
| 2015 | 31 | Boston Red Sox | $12,500,000 | ||
| 2016 | 32 | Boston Red Sox | $13,000,000 | ||
| 2017 | 33 | Boston Red Sox | $15,000,000 | ||
| 2018 | 34 | Boston Red Sox | $16,000,000 | ||
| 2019 | 35 | Boston Red Sox | $15,000,000 | ||
| 2020 | 36 | Boston Red Sox | $13,000,000 | ||
| 2021 | 37 | Boston Red Sox | $12,000,000 | ||
| Earliest Free Agent: 2022 |
Oct 30, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia after game six of the MLB baseball World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park. The Red Sox won 6-1 to win the series four games to two. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Five Red Sox players received votes for the American League MVP Award, Dustin Pedroia led the Red Sox with 99 points and a 7th-place finish
[David Ortiz had 47 points and finished 10th. Jacoby Ellsbury (three points, 18th place), Koji Uehara (two points, T-19th) and Shane Victorino (one point, T-22nd) also received votes.]
Here are 2013 WAR ratings:
Ellsbury 5.8
Victorino 5.6
Pedroia 5.4
Ortiz had 3.8
Pedroia won MVP in 2008 and has made the top 10 of MVP voting for 7 years in a row. He played the entire season with a torn ligament in his left thumb; his home run total fell from 15 to 9; hit did hit for average: .301.
Pedroia toughed out the entire season with a torn ligament in his left thumb, caused when he slid headfirst into first base on Opening Day; he underwent successful surgery this past week.
Fortunately, Pedroia did not require a more extensive surgery that would have included grafting a ligament from a different part of his body into his thumb.
“Sounds like the prognosis is good,” general manager Ben Cherington told reporters in Orlando. Cherington is optimistic that Pedroia will be ready for Spring Training.
This season he also won his third Gold Glove Award at second base and was named the American League defensive player of the year by Wilson Sporting Goods on Thursday.
Hall of Fame?
Baseball Reference likes his chances:
Hall Of Fame Statistics
Player rank in (·)
| Black Ink | Batting – 11 (218), Average HOFer ≈ 27 |
| Gray Ink | Batting – 57 (443), Average HOFer ≈ 144 |
| Hall of Fame Monitor | Batting – 86 (215), Likely HOFer ≈ 100 |
| Hall of Fame Standards | Batting – 31 (293), Average HOFer ≈ 50 |
| JAWS | Second Base (29th), 38.1 career WAR/38.9 7yr-peak WAR/38.5 JAWS Average HOF 2B (out of 19) = 69.5 career WAR/44.5 7yr-peak WAR/57.0 JAWS |
To decide whether he is being over or under paid, compare him to other MVPs.
AL and NL MVP’s since 2008 and what they are expected to make over the next 5 years.
| MVP | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 5 Year Total |
| Justin Verlander (2011) | $20,000,000 | $28,000,000 | $28,000,000 | $28,000,000 | $28,000,000 | $132,000,000 |
| Albert Pujols (2008, 2009) | $23,000,000 | $24,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $26,000,000 | $27,000,000 | $125,000,000 |
| Miguel Cabrera (2012, 2013) | $22,000,000 | $22,000,000 | TBD | TBD | TBD | $119,000,000* |
| Josh Hamilton (2010) | $17,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $25,000,000 | TBD | $117,000,000* |
| Joe Mauer (2009) | $23,000,000 | $23,000,000 | $23,000,000 | $23,000,000 | $23,000,000 | $115,000,000 |
| Joey Votto (2010) | $12,000,000 | $14,000,000 | $20,000,000 | $22,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $93,000,000 |
| Buster Posey (2012) | $10,500,000 | $16,500,000 | $20,000,000 | $21,400,000 | $21,400,000 | $89,800,000 |
| Ryan Braun (2009) | $10,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $19,000,000 | $19,000,000 | $19,000,000 | $79,000,000 |
| Dustin Pedroia (2008) | $12,500,000 | $12,500,000 | $13,000,000 | $15,000,000 | $16,000,000 | $69,000,000 |
| Andrew McCutchen (2013) | $7,250,000 | $10,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $14,000,000 | $14,750,000 | $59,000,000 |
*TBD is estimated at $25,000,000 toward the 5 Year Total,SOURCE: November 15, 2013 by Cory DiBenedetto http://www.gammonsdaily.com/the-cost-of-a-mvp/
Baseball Reference ranks Pedroia #244 on their All-Time Hitters list:
#243. Joey Votto… #244. DUSTIN PEDROIA… #245. Orlando Cepeda
Robinson Cano is rated higher:
#205. Robin Ventura… #206. ROBINSON CANO… #207. Ron Cey
Cano and Pedroia are frequently compared to each other. Here is Cano’s dough:
| Year | Age | Team | Salary | Sources | Notes/Other Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 23 | New York Yankees | $381,000 | ||
| 2007 | 24 | New York Yankees | $490,800 | ||
| 2008 | 25 | New York Yankees | $3,000,000 | ||
| 2009 | 26 | New York Yankees | $6,000,000 | ||
| 2010 | 27 | New York Yankees | $9,000,000 | ||
| 2011 | 28 | New York Yankees | $10,000,000 | ||
| 2012 | 29 | New York Yankees | $14,000,000 | contracts | |
| 2013 | 30 | New York Yankees | $15,000,000 | contracts | |
| 2014 Status | Signed thru 2013, Earliest Free Agent: 2014 | ||||
| Career to date (may be incomplete) | $57,871,800 |
| 2014 | 30 | Boston Red Sox | $12,500,000 | ||
| 2015 | 31 | Boston Red Sox | $12,500,000 | ||
| 2016 | 32 | Boston Red Sox | $13,000,000 | ||
| 2017 | 33 | Boston Red Sox | $15,000,000 | ||
| 2018 | 34 | Boston Red Sox | $16,000,000 | ||
| 2019 | 35 | Boston Red Sox | $15,000,000 | ||
| 2020 | 36 | Boston Red Sox | $13,000,000 | ||
| 2021 | 37 | Boston Red Sox | $12,000,000 | ||
| Earliest Free Agent: 2022 |
Q: Compared to Cano and other star players in his cohort, do you think Pedroia is properly compensated for his talents?
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