FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As the longest-tenured player on the Boston Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia understands and accepts his role as the team's leader.
But he also knows he can't do it alone.
Pedroia was in a pensive mood Saturday as he arrived at spring training for his 13th major-league season. The feisty second baseman spoke for more than 20 minutes about the state of his surgically repaired left knee, the Red Sox's tumultuous 2017 and his outlook for this season. His most insightful comments, though, came in regards to the team's leadership, a popular topic in the 16 months since David Ortiz retired.