The Boston Red Sox front office approached former fan-favorite Dustin Pedroia on FaceTime about coming down to Fenway South to assist with spring training.
He declined the invitation.
But he offered the team some free advice, even though it's nothing they haven't heard before.
Pedroia told the front office he's unhappy with the direction of the club. He made sure to mention that there are still free-agent pitchers available for the Sox to sign.
Boston's CEO Sam Kennedy revealed the nature of Pedroia's call to the media at spring training. He said the team appreciated Pedroia's perspective. He didn't expand upon potentially signing anyone, but Kennedy seemingly wanted everyone to know that Pedroia called.
Dustin Pedroia reached out to the Red Sox organization begging them to make a move, Sam Kennedy revealed
And since he told the world about the interaction, fans hope the organization plans to act on it.
The Red Sox organization has caught heat from all sides regarding the poor quality of the offseason it put together. Fans, players and now former players have piled on to give management a piece of their minds.
The true problem is that the men in charge don't seem to be listening. Boston's ownership has felt miraculously out of touch with fan desires, and even logical business, for almost four years. Reputable reporters, MLB insiders, fans, players and general authorities on the subject of baseball can't seem to make sense of any of the Red Sox's recent decisions ... because the answer is right in front of them and it's exactly what everyone has been saying.
Bradfo reveals the Red Sox reached out to Dustin Pedroia first and asked him to come down to Fort Myers for spring training.
— Jones & Mego with Arcand (@JonesandMego) February 20, 2024
Pedroia declined the offer and then voiced his opinions about the lack of momentum from the front office. pic.twitter.com/2O1X5bwjaV
Kennedy has been transparent with fans about the advice and criticisms he and the rest of Red Sox management have received over the past few seasons, likely to his detriment. But admitting that former players are turning down jobs with the organization due to the state of the team and then making no plans to do anything about it does not seem wise.
The 2024 Red Sox don't make wise choices. Jordan Montgomery has been sitting in Boston all winter without a team, or even a reasonable suitor. Fans and now players have pleaded with the organization to make a move. Some fans are boycotting Fenway Park this season, others are boycotting the organization altogether — NESN, Red Sox merchandise, Fenway bars, all of it.
Nothing anyone has said or done has been enough to force John Henry to make favorable decisions. Pedroia probably isn't going to be the voice that changes that, as much as fans would love him to be.
Kennedy keeps putting himself and Boston's organization in bad spots — and he doesn't have a ton of other options when John Henry refuses to take accountability for the poor decisions he's made for his club. Many fans understand that Kennedy doesn't have the final say on any signing decisions, but his comments lack a filter. He went from calling Sox fans "liars" for not believing the organization's feeble attempts at competing in the AL East, to telling fans that people from all angles are begging them to make moves but that they know better than everyone else.
Telling journalists and fans that former players are declining jobs with the organization due to the state of the roster should be the last straw. Boston needs to do something, if not for the current team, for the reputation of the organization.