Eduardo Nunez's long wait this winter tied to condition of his knee, not market downturn

FORT MYERS, Fla. – On the surface, Eduardo Nunez was no different than scores of other free agents this winter, waiting for a contract that suited them. Many, in fact, are still waiting as camps are underway and exhibition games loom.

But Nunez’s story was actually different. He wasn’t so much a victim of the marketplace, as he was a victim of his right knee.

“For me, it was a different situation,’’ said Nunez. “because it was all about my knee. Everyone was focused on me knee and injuries. They wanted me to prove I was healthy.’’

After the Red Sox made Nunez’s signing with the Red Sox (a $4 million base salary for 2018, with incentives and a potential $2 million buyout on a player option for 2019), Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the Sox had been monitoring Nunez for almost the entire off-season.

First, however, they had to be convinced that the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) sprain that Nunez suffered last September, only to have the problem re-surface in the first inning of the first playoff game, was fully healed.

The Sox worked him out in his native Dominican Republic in December, and again in January. But not until Thursday and Friday, when the organization put him through a day-long workout and medical workup, were the Red Sox entirely convinced.

“It was a long process,’’ acknowledged Dombrowski.

“They almost killed me,’’ joked Nunez, recalling what the Sox put him through this week.

Nunez took a physical Friday morning, then went through an hours-long workout on a back field at Fenway South.

“Before that, he went into the training room,’’ recalled Dombrowski. “They did all the tests with him, they measured his leg, the difference in his legs, his right vs. his left. (They had him) hopping on one foot; with that type of injury, it's very important to handle that, if it’s healed properly. After that, he did some stretching exercises, and then he went on the back field and took ground balls at short, took ground balls at second.

“He was bending down, he hit live, he ran the bases, he slid, dove back to bases. He felt great, had no pain. He came back the next day to make sure that there was no pain, no swelling. And there was none. So we’re comfortable that he’s 100 percent and ready to go.’’

“I feel confident,’’ said Nunez. “I took almost four months to recover, the right way. I did the right thing for my knee and my body and I’m ready to go play now.’’

Dombrowski noted that it’s rare for athletes with PCL sprains to require surgery.

“There are a lot of good athletes (with the same injury) who never had surgery,’’ he said. “It does, in a small percentage of cases, require surgery. That’s what we wanted to see that he didn’t (require a procedure) and that he could get to 100 percent, do everything and be pain-free without swelling.’’

Nunez presumably becomes the Red Sox’ starting second baseman for the first six weeks or so as incumbent Dustin Pedroia recovers from his off-season knee surgery. After that, Nunez can transition into his super-utility role, filling in at second, short and third, and perhaps, in time, first base and the outfield.

But Dombrowski said the early-season absence of Pedroia didn’t particularly motivate him to bring back Nunez.

“Really, we started to pursue him last year, even before we were sure about Dustin’s health situation,’’ said Dombrowski. “It’s just a good fit, and now it’s even better (with Pedroia sidelined into mid-May or beyond). But it’s a situation with his versatility and his ability to play different positions and bring so much to us from an offensive perspective.

“He brought a lot to us. He’s a good energy player, he’s good in the clubhouse. He just fits our club really well. It really wasn’t tied to (Pedroia’s status). If you told me today that Pedey would be ready Opening Day, we would still have pursued (Nunez).’’