Here’s why Dustin Pedroia visited Red Sox-Royals weekend series

Red Sox

Pedroia always welcomes time with his former ball club, but there was another reason for his Mother’s Day weekend visit.

Dustin Pedroia is among the most beloved Red Sox figures of the 21st century, and the four-time Gold Glove Award winner frequently finds time to be around his former ball club.

So nothing was particularly surprising about Pedroia making his way to Kansas City to hang out with the Red Sox for the weekend, even if it was quite the hike from Arizona, where his family currently resides.

But this weekend series in particular had another interest for Pedroia, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo: Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. Pedroia has been tied to the Witt family since his early days in the MLB; Bobby Witt Sr. was his first agent.

Because of that, Pedroia met Witt Jr. when he was a kid, and he’s since grown into one of the league’s bright young stars. Currently 24 years old, last season Witt Jr. became an All-Star for the first time and was both a Gold Glover and Silver Slugger. He finished second in American League MVP voting behind Aaron Judge. Witt Jr. has noted in the past that Pedroia was his favorite player growing up.

That made Pedroia’s decision to bring his family down even easier when he realized they had a free weekend with no sports of their own.

“He wanted to see the Red Sox, but they wanted to meet Witt, too,” Cora told Cotillo.

Pedroia still got some face time with the current crop of Red Sox, though. He’s been a part of spring trainings post-retirement, and still has a few former teammates in Boston, so he’s far from a stranger in Boston’s clubhouse. His visit this year could be beneficial for rookie Kristian Campbell, too. The Red Sox haven’t seen stability at second base since Pedroia retired, and now Campbell has slotted into the lineup as a long-term option. Some words of advice from one of the best Red Sox to play the position couldn’t hurt.

Cora, for one, seemed to welcome the idea when Pedroia picked up the phone.

“He called me last week … he was like, ‘Want me to come down?’,” Cora said. “I was like, ‘It’s up to you, it’s your family.’ He came down with the boys … we had a good time yesterday with him. He’s around today.”

Campbell and Pedroia have somewhat similar early trajectories, being called up relatively young. Pedroia was 23 when he made his MLB debut, and Campbell will turn 23 this June. If Campbell manages to win Rookie of the Year this season, he’ll be the first Red Sox player to do it since Pedroia back in 2007.

Wisdom and advice aside, the weekend trip appeared to be, more than anything, a nice family getaway for Mother’s Day weekend and a chance for Pedroia to catch up with some familiar faces.