Call it an MVP bonus. A few weeks after Dustin Pedroia was named the 2008 American League Most Valuable Player, the Boston Red Sox agreed to a six-year, $40.5 million contract with the star second baseman.
Considering he has only three years of experience, this is one of the biggest contracts ever given out to a player who wasn’t arbitration eligible yet. But with his career trajectory heading north, the Red Sox thought it’d be a good time to lock Pedroia into a long-term deal.
The big years of the contract come in 2013 and 2014 when he’ll make $10 million each …read more

Some claim Dustin Pedroia is about 5-foot-5 in real life. However, all must now admit that Pedroia is the 2008 American League Most Valuable Player.
Pedroia, the second baseman for the Boston Red Sox, handily won the award by beating out Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins and his teammate Kevin Youkilis. Pedroia not only was very good in the field, at the plate he was one of the most dangerous players in the AL.
He finished the season with a .326 batting average and 17 homers, 83 RBIs, 118 runs scored and 213 hits. The 25-year-old improved his numbers across the …read more