Red Sox Lineup Can Afford to Let Dustin Pedroia Step Away From the Game Gracefully

Dustin Pedroia can do plenty of his trademark inspiring from the sidelines for the rest of the year. His energized Sox can let him rest.

Pedroia's body just can't keep up with him any longer. The 35-year-old second baseman has dealt with knee issues for the past two seasons, and has played a total of nine games. He recently suffered another setback that placed him on the 60-day IL.

In a press conference on Monday, Pedroia announced that he'd be taking some time to evaluate his future in baseball, and many around the game seem to think he's content with the idea of hanging it up.

The former AL MVP simply cannot perform up to his own personal standards anymore, and he's not being short-sighted about this. Pedroia himself admitted that it wouldn't be fair to his teammates for him to take up a roster spot, only being able to play one or two games per week.

In the nine games Pedroia has played in the last two seasons, he is batting .097 with just one RBI in 34 plate appearances. He even struggled while rehabbing in the minors, as he batted .179 with one RBI in 12 games.

The retirement of Pedroia will be a sad end to a great career, but the Red Sox will move on. Second base should be the permanent home for Michael Chavis, who can match Pedroia in intensity, but displays even more home run power than the Muddy Chicken in his prime.

Pedroia will always be remembered by Red Sox fans for the 14 years he gave to the team. However, his body simply can't hold up anymore, and it's time to move on. You can rest now, Pedey. This torch can now be passed.