Bloom: Pedroia 'intending on playing' in 2020

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- It was nearly six months ago that Dustin Pedroia admitted he wasn’t sure if he would ever play again.

But on Monday, new Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom had a more encouraging report on the second baseman, who has appeared in a total of just nine games over the last two seasons.

“Every indication I’ve gotten is that he’s feeling good and intending on playing,” Bloom said on the first day of the General Managers Meetings.

Pedroia’s renewed optimism comes three months after he had another surgery on his problematic left knee. Perhaps the joint preservation procedure Pedroia underwent will finally give him the relief he needs to get back on the field for a sustained period.

With the meetings being held just a few miles from Pedroia’s offseason home, Bloom hopes to spend some time with the veteran in the coming days.

“I texted with him a little bit on the way in,” Bloom said. “Hopefully we’ll get to see him before we head out. I know he’s working pretty hard to make sure he’s in as good a shape as possible, but mostly -- certainly for me -- a lot of it has just been getting to know him, knowing his importance here and to this organization. Wanted to make sure to build a rapport with him as quickly as I could.”

The 36-year-old Pedroia has two years and $25 million left on his contract.

What has changed for Pedroia since his press conference in late May, when he was noticeably dejected?

“It was pretty raw at that point, the time you’re talking about,” said Red Sox general manager Brian O’Halloran. “He’s been working out and doing well by his own account, and we’re going to talk to him and learn more. I don’t think that anything specifically changed. I think it’s more that time has passed and he’s been feeling better.”

The Red Sox used a combination of players at second base last season, including Brock Holt, Michael Chavis and Marco Hernández. There is still room for a healthy Pedroia to work his way back into the mix.

Given Pedroia’s importance to the organization, the Red Sox have no problem being patient.

“I would never think of it as a problem to have Dustin Pedroia on our 40-man roster and be concerned about planning around him,” O’Halloran said. “So it’s good to have him on our roster and hopefully, he continues to progress and is in the mix.”

Sale doing ‘well’
The Red Sox also had an encouraging medical report on ace Chris Sale, who missed the final six weeks of the season due to a left elbow injury.

“Chris continues to do well,” said O’Halloran. “He’s working out in Fort Myers and we anticipate that the schedule we laid out in the past, where he’ll at some point see Dr. Andrews for a check-up and then begin throwing if all goes well -- which we anticipate that it will."