Pedroia has clout at 2B

The American League MVP will be announced in five days, by which point Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia may have trouble finding room to display it. With potentially the biggest one yet to come, Pedroia added another award to his offseason haul yesterday, pairing the Silver Slugger as the league's top offensive second baseman to the Gold Glove he won last week for his defense.

Pedroia may yet be named MVP, but for now, he can take comfort in being one of three American Leaguers - Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore and Twins catcher Joe Mauer are the others - to win a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger this season. He is the fourth Red Sox player to win both in the same year, joining Dwight Evans (1981), Ellis Burks (1990), and Jason Varitek (2005).

First baseman Kevin Youkilis, who is also an MVP candidate and won the Hank Aaron Award as the AL's best hitter, was left off the Silver Slugger team in favor of Minnesota's Justin Morneau. The Silver Slugger is voted on by AL managers and coaches, while the Hank Aaron Award is selected by broadcasters and fans.

Pedroia hit .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs. He led the majors in doubles with 54 and tied Ichiro Suzuki for the hits title with 213. His 118 extra-base hits and 61 multihit games led the league. He set team records for a second baseman for runs, hits, doubles, average, total bases, and extra-base hits.

Pedroia became the first Red Sox second baseman to win a Silver Slugger. A Red Sox player has made the team every year since 2001, a streak that trails only the New York Yankees' mark of nine straight seasons.

Hale, Mariners talk

Red Sox third base coach DeMarlo Hale interviewed yesterday for the vacant Seattle Mariners managerial position, which Boston bench coach Brad Mills is also vying for. Hale met with Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik at 7:30 a.m., and he savored the experience.

"They're looking for a guy to lead this team and be the face of the organization," said Hale during a conference call. "They want someone with the drive of taking this team to winning year in and year out. The ultimate goal is the World Series."

Hale feels it helps that he's worked under Terry Francona the last three years.

"You understand the commitment and sacrifice it takes and challenges ahead to win," he said. "It helps. But in this situation, they want to hear your ideas, not the Red Sox' ideas."

Buchholz impresses

Clay Buchholz concluded his time in the Arizona Fall League earlier this month, and his performance left Double A Portland pitching coach Mike Cather glowing about his maturation and future.

"It was the hardest I've ever seen him work," Cather said. "It was the most disciplined I've ever seen Clay. It was the most I've ever seen Clay grow up."

Buchholz's numbers in Arizona regressed after a dominating start. He allowed no runs and only one hit in his first two starts, a span of eight innings. He then surrendered nine earned runs in 13 innings over three starts, giving up 17 hits and seven walks.

Still, most important was Buchholz's approach. Late in the regular season, he was demoted from Boston to Portland, where Cather worked with him on "getting back to his roots," the coach said.

They're available

Today marks 15 days since the end of the World Series, the first day teams can negotiate specific contract figures with free agents from opposing teams. All four of the Red Sox' free agents - Varitek, Alex Cora, Mark Kotsay, and Sean Casey - remain on the market . . . The Single A Salem (Va.) Avalanche, formerly affiliated with the Houston Astros, will now be a Red Sox farm team. At an official announcement yesterday, the franchise changed its name to the Salem Red Sox.