Pedroia: "I'm In A Place That I Love"

By signing a six-year deal with the Red Sox, American League MVP Dustin Pedroia knows that he gave up arbitration and his first two years of free agency -- and, therefore, potentially more money than the $40.5 million he'll receive by the end of 2014. He doesn't care.

I'm in a place that I love. My first thought was, "I play for the best team. Who wouldn't want to play for the Boston Red Sox? We're going to have a chance to win every year." The fans are the best; the city embraces their team. So, why not? It fits. ... I wanted to be here a long time. Hopefully in the next six years we can win some championships.

Theo Epstein:

He embodies just about everything we look for in a Red Sox player, and that makes this a great day for the organization. Dustin plays hard, first and foremost, all the time. He plays to win. He plays for his teammates, not himself. What's not to like? If we had 25 guys like him, we'd be in good shape. I don't think we'd be the Red Sox right now without Dustin Pedroia.

Terry Francona is also happy with FY's deal: "I feel like I got a bump in salary because of his cribbage skills." ... Pedroia also had some words for members of the media who doubted his ability to stick in the bigs: "I think you guys are all stupid for not believing in me."

The Red Sox formally announced the signing of Junichi Tazawa, a 22-year-old right-hander from Japan, to a three-year contract (believed to be worth $3.3 million). He will likely spent most of 2009 in the minor leagues.

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