Free agent Joc Pederson is one of the better left-handed bats available and the Diamondbacks are interested in bringing him back, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal also mentions the Rays and Rangers as possible landing spots, though those seem more speculative, so it’s unclear to what degree those clubs are interested.
Pederson, 33 in April, is a limited player but does one thing very well. He doesn’t run well nor provide much of anything defensively. He’s also been a liability when a left-hander is on the mound, but he does crush righties.
Last winter, the Diamondbacks signed Pederson to a one-year deal with a $12.5MM guarantee. He got into 132 games for the Snakes this year but didn’t take the field at all. On account of his poor defensive track record, he was used exclusively as a designated hitter or pinch hitter. Of his 449 plate appearances on the year, only 42 of them were against southpaws. He actually produced a strong .219/.405/.344 line and 124 wRC+ in that split thanks to a 16.7% walk rate, and in spite of a 42.9% strikeout rate. But for his career, he has a .210/.300/.330 line and a 76 wRC+ without the platoon advantage.
In his 407 plate appearances against righties this year, his strikeout rate was a far more palatable 21.4%. His 11.8% walk rate was quite a strong, a few ticks above league average. He also hit 22 home runs, which helped him produce a slash of .281/.392/.531 and a 154 wRC+.
Overall, Pederson hit .275/.393/.515 on the year for a 151 wRC+, the second of the past three years with very strong offensive production. He hit .274/.353/.521 with the Giants in 2022 for a 144 wRC+. San Francisco gave him a $19.65MM qualifying offer on the heels of that showing, which he accepted. His batting line dropped to .235/.348/.416 in 2023, for a 109 wRC+, but the Snakes may have had a hunch that was bad luck. His batting average on balls in play went from .310 in 2022 to .268 in 2023, despite his batted ball metrics staying strong. His BABIP corrected to .322 in 2024 and his overall offense climbed back up along with it.
Even with that unlucky dip last year, Pederson has still managed to produce a 135 wRC+ over the past three years combined. Among players with at least 1200 plate appearances in that time frame, that figure is one of the top 15 in the majors, just ahead of guys like José Ramírez, Matt Olson and Rafael Devers. Pederson’s deficiencies put limits on his ability to contribute, but he’s a huge difference maker at the plate. MLBTR predicted him for a two-year, $24MM contract as part of the annual Top 50 Free Agents post.
It’s understandable that the Diamondbacks would want Pederson back, as they saw first-hand what a huge impact he can make at the plate. General manager Mike Hazen has said that he expects the 2025 payroll to be in the same range as 2024. RosterResource currently projects the club for $149MM in spending next year, which is about $14MM shy of last year’s Opening Day figure. Re-signing Pederson would eat up most of that but trading some of Jordan Montgomery’s salary could perhaps create some extra wiggle room for further offseason moves.
For the Rays, they usually aren’t big players in free agency but it wouldn’t be unprecedented to do something like this. Just two years ago, they gave Zach Eflin a $40MM guarantee. RosterResource pegs them at $79MM for next year’s payroll, about $20MM shy of where they started 2024. That could give them some room to work with this offseason, depending on how their ongoing stadium uncertainty is going to impact their spending plans.
In terms of the roster construction, it would be a bit of a pivot for the Rays, as they usually place a high value on defensive versatility. The last time they had one player take more than 400 plate appearances as a designated hitter was Johnny Damon in 2011. But if they view Pederson as the best bat available in their price range, perhaps they would be willing to have him lock up the DH spot, at least against righties.
For the Rangers, as mentioned by Rosenthal, squaring up right-handed pitching was a struggle this year. They put up a collective line of .238/.304/.379 for a wRC+ of 95, putting them in the bottom third of the league. Installing Pederson in their lineup would be the most straightforward way of improving that line in 2025. The club didn’t have a strict designated hitter in 2024, so fitting Pederson in shouldn’t be too hard. 11 different players took at least 22 trips to the plate in that spot in 2024, with Wyatt Langford leading the pack with 105 plate appearances. Pederson’s presence would make it more difficult to spread around the DH time to so many guys, but it could be viewed as worth it, given how good he’s been at the plate recently.
Pusoy power!
I like the idea of having Pederson on these teams:
Diamondbacks
Nationals
Reds
Rangers
Pirates
Nats don’t need another lefty outfielder but maybe they can take another DH
He’d fit the Mariners need for a DH perfectly.
I’d rather the reds not sign an expensive dh when they already have candy
With India gone Candalerio is going to have to play the field. At least some of the time.
Yeah but I also kinda meant candelarios contract means they shouldn’t sign another guy like that
They need a middle of the order bat. I think they need a lefty hitter. They need outfield help and the home park in Cincy is one of the easiest to play defense in. I think he’s a decent fit for the Reds.
If the Reds wanted they’d probably have no problem trading Candelario and his remaining contract to any of the teams that don’t land Alex Bregman, given the dearth of other 3B options.
I feel like nobody realizes how good Joc is, even if he’s a platoon DH guy, this dude can mash.
Completely agree. he MASHES righties. he is continually knocked for his deficiencies but never praised for what he does well, and I think he holds down that platoon better than anyone, 2 years for $24m is well worth it if used correctly.
He mashes righties, understands his role, and shows up when it matters. Joc would be a fantastic signing for several teams with post-season aspirations.
A platoon player is a better fit for some teams than he is for others. If your team has a deep bench it’s a benefit to use that bench and use Joc when he’s at his best which is against righties only. But you need to have that depth. If Joc sits and the guy who plays in his place is below replacement level that hurts the team.
What team is left for him to play for in the NL WEST? LA,AZ,SF. He has SD and COL to have played for all 5 teams. Don’t think either SD or COL needs an OFer.
Steve Finley is unimpressed!
He’s not an OF. Not anymore anyway. I’m old enough to remember when he was a kiddo with the Dodgers. Was a surprisingly (for his body type) good athlete who played a credible CF. But those days are long gone.
Padres need an outfielder but i am not sure that’s what Joc is anymore.
I was hoping he might be around if Soto, Profar, Bellinger weren’t possible. Left bat. Great OBP. Not much of a financial commitment. Has success in the WS. Nice signing.
me bad. I thought he was signed today.
Joc had 3.0 war strictly as a DH, while only batting against right handers. Pretty impressive, love me some Joc
You aren’t allowed to steal the Jays future platoon DH
Always wanted Joc in the Bronx. Can someone please take Stanton. LoL
Joc Pederson and Keekay Hernandez would be excellent role-player signings for wannabe contenders. Joc mashes righties. Keekay mashes lefties and has defensive versatility. Both show up when it matters most. Either would be a value signing for a payroll-conscious team with post-season aspirations. I’m looking at you, Central Division teams.
I’d still prefer they re-sign Walker.
Walker does not have age on his side either though
Every MLB team needs at least 1 JOC.
The majority of MLB teams have 26.