Steve Pearce happy to be staying with Red Sox

Steve Pearce has been around in his major league career. He's one of just two players who has played for every team in the AL East and has also played for two other franchises.

But after a little more than four months with the Red Sox, Pearce didn't need any convincing to stay put. Less than three weeks after being named World Series MVP, Pearce, a free agent, decided to remain with the Red Sox, signing a one-year, $6.25-million deal last Friday.

"It's definitely nice. I've got some roots to finally lay down,'' said Pearce in a conference call Monday. "I'm excited. It was easy (to make the call). It was the team that I was on and with the run we had, I'm really anxious to get back there. It was a very easy decision. This is the place I wanted to be. It was a no-brainer for me -- this is where I wanted to play.''

Pearce cited "the chemistry we have, on-and-off the field and wanting to defend the title,'' as the principal attractions for him electing to come back to Boston.

Having experience life with another half-dozen franchises, Pearce felt something unique after joining the Sox.

"You see them from afar, when I was on other teams, how much fun they had and how they played together,'' Pearce said. "When I got to join, I got to see the clubhouse and how everybody acted in there. They had chemistry on and off the field. They have a great time every game, so coming over here,  I fit right in.''

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the team was in contact with Pearce in the immediate aftermath of the Series and it didn't take long for a deal to come together. Pearce might have liked more than a one-year commitment, but the Sox were insistent on keeping it more short-term.

"At this point, where we are, we really like the combination that we have with Steve (and Mitch Moreland) at first base,'' said Dombrowski, "but we felt for us, where they are in their careers, where we are as an organization, we really did want to hold it one year.''

Pearce has achieved a newfound celebrity following his heroics in Games 4 and 5 of the World Series (three homers, bases-loaded double) and being named MVP.

"I'm a little bit more recognized now,'' conceded Pearce. "I'm a little bit more busy (with appearances and endorsements). I understand it comes with the territory. You have to prepare for it and take it day-by-day and keep doing what you have to do.''

Dombrowski confirmed that, with the return of Pearce, the Sox are effectively done tinkering with the position player part of their 2019 roster.

The one area where the Sox are somewhat unsettled is second base. Dustin Pedroia, who underwent major knee surgery in 2017, played just three games last year.

"He's not going to have (additional) surgery,'' said Dombrowski. "He's continuing to have rehab and therapy and that's what he's going to continue to do. He'll do that through about the middle of December. Then, he'll get back into exercise and more physical activities at that point. Sometime in January, he'll start running so we're hopeful he'll be ready for the season.

"So really, with that prognosis, I can never say it's over because you never know what might end up taking place, but as far as positional players, we're pretty well set. I can't tell you that you may not be open-minded to certain things happening, but the reality is, when you look at our club, there's not a lot of holes there from a positional player perspective.''