Dustin Pedroia

FORT MYERS, Fla. — One true sign of leadership is taking responsibility. Dustin Pedroia did that Tuesday when asked about Bobby Valentine and the 2012 Red Sox that went 69-93.

“No, none,” Pedroia said when asked about the impact Valentine had on the team. “He didn’t play. It’s the players. Bobby didn’t go out there and get any hits, make any errors or do any of that. We lost those games. It’s on us.”

Pedroia took offense when Valentine criticized Kevin Youkilis early in the season before Valentine and Pedroia worked out their differences.

“Yeah, it was difficult,” Pedroia said of the 2012 season. “We had a tough time. We lost a lot of games. I think everybody is motivated to make sure that doesn’t happen again. We have to do everything better than we did last year. We have a lot of new guys. I think a lot of guys are excited. There are going to be a lot of different things going on. Guys have to do what they do and don’t try to do too much.”

[Dustin Pedroia talks Bobby Valentine, new faces and John Farrell]

As for working again with new manager John Farrell, someone he knew from 2007-10?

“That was one of the things when he was here before, he was always communicating with guys and open about your role. You knew what you were going to do that day. That definitely helps,” Pedroia said.

Another pain of 2012 was quite physical for Pedroia, the left and right hand injuries that limited him to 141 games. He still managed to hit .290 with 15 home runs.

“It was fine,” Pedroia said. “I had a pin in my [left] pinkie for about four weeks and they took it out. It was no big no deal. My thumb and other finger healed in about six weeks. I was fine.”

As for the offseason, Pedroia spent it in a program he called, “straight body build.”

Pedroia is also pumped and jacked about newcomers like David Ross, Jonny Gomes, Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew and Shane Victorino.

“I thought the moves were great,” Pedroia said. “We added a lot of personality to the team. These guys, Jonny Gomes, there are guys that are going to bring a lot of energy to the clubhouse and team, a lot of positive stuff and everyone is excited for everything.”

Dustin Pedroia

FORT MYERS, Fla. — In the wake of the awful 2012 season, Dustin Pedroia has no worries about the mindset of his teammates, including one that is set to become a free agent after this season.

Pedroia believes Jacoby Ellsbury will be completely focused on the Red Sox this season. That didn’t stop reporters from asking him if he’s at all concerned about Ellsbury’s commitment.

“No, he’s here to win,” Pedroia said. “I don’t think he’s showing up today worried about getting a contract extension or anything like that. He’s going to show up to help us win a ball game.

“He’s very important. We all know what he can do when he’s healthy. He’s had some bad-luck injuries, last year and a few years back. You all saw what he did the year in between that and it’s pretty special.”

(Click here to listen to Pedroia address reporters Tuesday morning in Fort Myers.)

Pedroia was, of course, referring to 2011, when Ellsbury batted .321 with 32 homers and 105 RBIs and finished second to Justin Verlander for AL MVP.

As for another teammate, Stephen Drew, Pedroia is looking forward to working with his new double-play partner. Pedroia, when he was at Arizona State, played against Drew when the shortstop was at Florida State.

“A little bit, yeah,” Pedroia said when asked how much he knows him. “He’ll be fine. He’s a great player. He’s got a lot of talent. Played against him in college and played with J.D. [Drew] for five years so I was always asking J.D. how he’s doing. So, we’ll have a great relationship. It’ll be fun.”

The funniest moment of the session came when Pedroia was asked if he heard about the $100,000 the Red Sox reportedly spent two years ago on a marketing firm that told the team they needed more “sexy” players like him on the roster.

“They didn’t didn’t need to hire a damn marketing team. I could have told them that for free,” Pedroia said. “It was all my friends. I don’t know, I just started laughing. Man, that’s pretty funny.”

With author Dan Shaughnessy standing to his left listening in, Pedroia was asked if he read the book of former Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

“No,” he laughed. “I have no time for that.”

Even from a distance, John Farrell knew how disastrous 2012 was for the Red Sox. And he knew many of the players on the roster even before he accepted the job of Red Sox manager.

In the three months since, he’s gotten a strong indication from those he’s spoken with that the team is eager to get to work and make amends.

It wasn’t long ago – 2010 to be exact – that Farrell was Terry Francona‘s pitching coach, giving daily advice to the likes of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. He knows very well the tendencies of Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz.

Still, he was asked Thursday at the Boston baseball writers’ annual dinner, does he know what he’s getting into?

“Yeah, and I think we have a very good roster,” Farrell said. “I like our team as it stands today. We haven’t even gotten to spring training yet. But not only the talent that Ben and the staff brought in but the people they are. From Day 1 of being named to this position and talking to players throughout the offseason, there are many, many players that are eager to re-write the story that took place a year ago, and all are looking forward to getting on the field in Fort Myers.”

Farrell also knows the organization has brought back star players like Jason Varitek and now former ace pitcher Pedro Martinez to offer their advice as organizational assistants.

“A lot of experience,” Farrell said. “A lot of great pitching experience. He and Tek being back in our organization, in roles where they can they afford and give back to the young players that are coming through the system right now, and really even at the big league level, to give advice. This is a unique place, where you have the ability of having two guys who have had the success they’ve had to have them accessible to our players. … it’s going to be an asset for all of us.”

Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona has always loved a good joke.

So, when good friend, former pitching coach and new Red Sox manager John Farrell walked into the Essex meeting room of the Copley Westin, he couldn’t resist.

“I just want to get this over with, just for the sake of it, I think your owners suck,” Francona said, shortly after giving him a warm embrace during the media availability prior to the annual Red Sox writers’ dinner in Boston.

Any serious advice for Farrell from Francona?

“Not to open your mouth like I do,” Francona said. “No, he doesn’t need my advice. We were not as good a team when he left. I’ve said this a lot of times, when he came back, the glass got half-full again with a lot of players, as it should. Except for when we’re playing him, I’ll be a big fan. He knows that.”

Farrell left after the 2010 season to manage the Blue Jays in 2011-12.

Oh, and one more thing for the record from Francona:

“And I didn’t mean that, by the way,” Francona said, referring to his opening line.

Farrell, playing the role of straight man, followed up by acknowledging Francona’s impact over eight seasons in Boston, including two World Series titles.

“It’s an exciting one, one I’m privileged to be in,” Farrell said. “And if I could have half the success that Tito had while he was here and what the Red Sox went through in the eight years that he was [manager]. He’s had one heckuva run here in Boston.”

There are two sides to every story. With John Farrell, there are the people in Boston who are grateful to have him back where he helped build a pitching staff that dominated in the late 2000s and produced a World Series champion in 2007.

In Toronto, he is looked at as the man who left the Blue Jays at moment’s notice, never giving full allegiance to a franchise that gave him his first big league managerial experience.

Blue Jays president Paul Beeston and general manager Alex Anthopoulos agreed over the weekend to trade John Farrell and pitcher David Carpenter to the the Red Sox in exchange for Mike Aviles.

On Tuesday, during his introductory news conference as the 46th manager in Red Sox history, there were several reporters from Toronto who made the trip south to ask him how and why he left the Blue Jays after two non-winning seasons, which included an 89-loss campaign in 2012.

“It’s with a lot of thanks and great gratitude to the Toronto Blue Jays, to Paul, to Alex, the opportunity they provided in the two years spent there was invaluable experience. Things might not have always worked out the way we intended but there were a lot of firsts that I was able to experience there, and I’ll be forever be indebted to the Toronto Blue Jays.

“I can honestly tell you it’s allowed me to be that much more prepared standing here than maybe [was] the case two years ago so for that, guys in Toronto, if you’re listening, I appreciate it very much.”

But that wasn’t good enough to appease the media from north of the border. Farrell was asked how he felt about leaving an organization and city that feels betrayed by his departure and suggestions that his heart was never in Toronto. Read the rest of this entry »

WEEI.com will continue to offer insight and analysis regarding options that might be available to the Red Sox when it comes to the 2013 MLB draft. For the first time since 1993, the Red Sox have a top-10 selection and will be drafting seventh. Here is one in a series of profiles of players who could be on the board when it’s time for the Red Sox to make a selection.

MARK APPEL

Stanford RHP Mark Appel was the 2012 National College Pitcher of the Year. (Stanford University)

Position: RHP

School: Stanford

Born: July 15, 1991

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 210 pounds

Bats/throws: R/R

2013 class: Senior

Previously drafted: 2009, 15th round, Tigers;  2012, first round (No. 8 overall), Pirates

Achievements: 2012 National College Pitcher of the Year, 2012 first team Collegiate Baseball All-America, 2012 first team NCBWA All-America, 2012 second team Baseball America All-America, 2012 second team Perfect Game All-America, 2012 first team All-Pac 12, 2012 Stanford Regional Most Outstanding Player, 2011 USA Baseball collegiate national team, 2011 No. 1 prospect on Team USA by Baseball America, 2011 No. 2 prospect on Team USA by Perfect Game, 2011 No. 2 prospect in CCBL by Perfect Gam, 2010 NECBL All-Star

What he brings: Appel has a four-seam fastball that he commands well and that reportedly has touched the high 90s while sitting comfortably around 94-96. He features what is widely described as a plus swing-and-miss changeup and a breaking ball — typically characterized as a slider, though some note that it more closely resembles a curveball at times — with above-average action.

Notes: On first appearance, Appel has the prototypical pitcher’s physique, possessing the look of an innings-eater. He is tall and strong through his core, allowing him to maintain balance and repeat his delivery. Some scouts have likened him to a Matt Cain. Read the rest of this entry »

WEEI.com will continue to offer insight and analysis regarding options that might be available to the Red Sox when it comes to the 2013 MLB draft. For the first time since 1993, the Red Sox have a top-10 selection and will be drafting seventh. Here is one in a series of profiles of players who could be on the board when it’s time for the Red Sox to make a selection.

Left-hander Sean Manaea had a dominant Cape League performance. (Indiana State)

SEAN MANAEA

Position: LHP

School: Indiana State

Born: Feb. 1, 1992

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 215 pounds

Bats/throws: L/L

2013 Class: Junior

Previously drafted: Never drafted

Achievements: 2012 Cape Cod League Outstanding Pro Prospect Award, 2012 Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Year, 2012 Cape Cod League All-Star, 2012 All-MVC second team, 2011 Prospect League All-Star, 2011 No. 1 Prospect in the Prospect League by Perfect Game

What he brings: Other than his fastball, which sits consistently at 91-92 mph with occasional spikes as high as 96, Manaea needs to develop his secondary pitches a bit further. It has been noted that he does have issues sustaining his velocity deep into games.

His slider is good when it is on, as is his change. Historically his problem has been consistency.

Notes: Manaea had a modest prospect profile before an absolutely dominant summer in the Cape League vaulted him among the top prospects entering the 2012 draft. He posted a 5-1 record with a 1.22 ERA in nine Cape League games, eight of which were starts. In 51 2/3 innings of work he allowed only 21 hits, three home runs and seven walks while striking out a remarkable 85 batters (which equates to a 14.8 K/9 ratio) — surpassing the 82 punchouts that Daniel Bard had in 2005 for the most in a summer by a Cape League in what was described as “recent memory” — while walking just seven and forging an incredible 0.55 WHIP.

His 2012 numbers with Indiana State were solid but far less glamorous. He had a 5-3 record, a 3.34 ERA, 115 strikeouts and 37 walks in 105 innings in the Missouri Valley Conference — part of the reason why his Cape League dominance yielded a dramatic increase in his prospect stock.

Links:

Big League Futures

Baseball America Cape League Hot Sheet