at undergoing knee surgery after the 2017 season was a mistake.According to ESPN.com's David Schoenfield http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , Pedroia would have done things differently given the benefit of hindsight:"No, I wouldn't have done it. I don't regret doing it, but looking back and knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have done it."As a result of the surgery, Pedroia missed the first two months of the 2018 season. He returned in May but appeared in just three games before getting shut down for the remainder of the campaign.The surgery Pedroia underwent was a cartilage restoration in his left knee. It involved taking cartilage from a cadaver and grafting it inside his knee.Pedroia acknowledged he wasn't aware of everything the surgery entailed:"It's a complicated surgery. The cartilage in my knee is great now, but the graft is the thing. You're putting somebody else's bone in your body. To get that to incorporate fully, there are so many things that, going into it, I didn't know all that stuff. I thought Chad Bettis Jersey , 'They were like, you tore this, we can fix it. Great.'"Rather than undergoing surgery, Pedroia had the option of rehabbing the injury. Looking back, Pedroia feels as though he may have tried to come back too soon:"I think the difference was last year everyone wanted me to come back better than I was before, instead of just coming back. I might have pushed it too hard or done too much, but as far as following directions, I followed every step. I think some of the directions were, timing wise Jonathan Lucroy Jersey , a little off."The 35-year-old Pedroia is a four-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove Award winner and one-time American League MVP who is set to enter his 14th MLB season.Prior to playing just three games in 2018, Pedroia was highly productive in 2017 despite playing through knee pain. He hit .293 to go along with seven home runs and 62 RBI in 105 games.While Pedroia hasn't been an All-Star since 2013, he is a reliable presence in the field and at the plate when healthy.For his career, Pedroia is a .300 hitter with 140 homers, 724 RBI, 921 runs scored and 138 stolen bases.With regard to his status entering 2019, Pedroia made it clear he's healthy and ready to go, but he also stressed the importance of not pushing himself too hard:"I don't have any restrictions. I just have to be smart. I don't need to take a hundred groundballs. I need to take the amount that gets me ready for the game and then stop. Just limit the time on my feet and make sure I'm always staying on top of things to keep me healthy."En route to winning the World Series last season http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-bettis-jersey , Boston primarily utilized Eduardo Nunez and Brock Holt at second base.With Pedroia coming back, the Red Sox will be able to use Nunez and Holt in utility roles, but they also don't have to overwork Pedroia due to the fact that they have plenty of middle infield depth. CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Pitcher Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $45 million, four-year contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for this week.The 25-year-old right-hander set career bests last year when he was a first-time All-Star, going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2021 season..“I think Aaron Nola brings a preparation we can all look up to and our other players can emulate,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday. “I think his between-the-lines competitiveness is off the charts. He’s such a fighter, he’s such a grinder DJ LeMahieu Jersey , he’s such a battler.”Under a deal announced Wednesday, Nola gets a $2 million signing bonus, $4 million this year, $8 million in 2020, $11.75 million in 2021 and $15 million in 2022. Philadelphia has a $16 million team option for 2023 with a $4.25 million buyout.“He doesn’t want any of the attention, he doesn’t want the spotlight on him,” Kapler said. “He just wants to compete, compete, compete. That’s what he’s done and that’s why he’s one of the two or three best pitchers in the National League over the course of the last couple of years.”Eligible for arbitration for the first time http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-bettis-jersey , Nola had asked for a raise from $573,000 to $6.75 million and the Phillies had offered $4.5 million. Nola is to discuss the deal Thursday.Among the more than 175 players who were eligible for arbitration this year, Nola is the first to get a deal of more than one guaranteed season. Arizona left-hander T.J. MacFarland and Milwaukee catcher Manny Pina agreed to contracts that included 2020 club options.ARRIETARight-hander Jake Arrieta had left knee surgery last month. Kapler described the surgery as minor and said it was a meniscus cleanup with no structural issues.Kapler said Arrieta already has pitched off a mound and the team expects him to be ready for the regular season.“We’re just going to be smart about his running and cutting progression,” Kapler said.TRAINER’S ROOMRight-hander Jerad Eickhoff had carpal tunnel surgery on Oct. 1 and recently had a follow-up visit where it was determined he was not a candidate for further surgery. Kapler said Eickhoff will throw a bullpen session next week and be re-evaluated.“I think he’s had so much adversity over the last 12-18 months,” Kapler said. “He just wants to feel 100 percent so he continues to strive toward that goal.”Outfielder Aaron Altherr had surgery on his right foot at the end of the season and was immobilized for six weeks. Kapler said Altherr is gradually building toward running and he is expected to be ready for the start of the season.SEEING BOTH SIDESKapler says he doesn’t have any strong feeling either way on the proposed rule change that will would force a pitcher to face three batters in an inning or get the final out.“It’s fun to be able to mix and match and use one reliever to come in and get a guy out,” he said. “But if the rule was the same for everybody there are things that would work well for our roster.”Kapler said that David Robertson and Tommy Hunter are two relievers he thinks can have equal success against righties or lefties.THIRD BASE BATTLEKapler said Maikel Franco and Sean Kingery could be competing to start at third.“There is some competition at third base,” Kapler said. “And that’s a conversation I’ll have with Maikel and Scott.”