7:46pm: MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports that the deal will be a one-year deal with a mutual option through 2025.X-link).
4:10pm: Diamondbacks and outfielders Joc Pederson is “very close” to an agreement, according to Nick Piccolo of the Arizona Republic. Details of the transaction being discussed are not being made public at this time. ESPN’s Buster Olney It was previously reported that the two sides were in talks.
Pederson, who turns 32 in April, has been a powerful slugger in the major leagues for 10 years. Since his 2014 debut, he has hit 186 home runs while playing for the Dodgers, Cubs, Braves and Giants.
The latter club has employed Pederson for the past two seasons. He signed a one-year, $6 million contract through 2022, giving the club a good return on his investment. He hit 23 home runs and walked in 9.7% of his at-bats. His .274/.353/.521 batting line translated into a wRC+ of 146, indicating he was 46% better than league average. While his defense continued to have issues, his offensive production was excellent.
The Giants were clearly impressed and surprisingly made Pederson a qualifying offer of $19.65 million through 2023. He accepted the offer and returned to San Francisco for another year, but the results were a little more mixed. His walk rate jumped to 13.4%, but his batting average declined, hitting just 15 home runs that year. His .235/.348/.416 batting line yielded a wRC+ of 111, still above average but a significant drop from the previous year.
Despite a down year in terms of performance, there are reasons to be bullish, and MLBTR’s Leo Morgenstern recently explored them.Mr. Pederson’s Statistics cast page His hard-hitting percentage and average exit velocity are both in the top 10% of eligible hitters, so he continues to shine bright red. Even though he continued to hit the ball consistently, his batting average during his playing days dropped from .310 in 2022 to .268.
The latter number exactly matches his career BABIP, perhaps indicating that 2022 is more of an outlier than the most recent season. However, on the other hand, 2023 was the first year in which defensive shifts were banned. Pederson, a slow, left-handed power bat, was exactly the type of player a no-shifter would have helped with, but his contact quality remained strong, causing his BABIP to drop by more than 40 points.
Even if BABIP’s fortunes don’t change, Pederson could be a valuable platoon bat. His career line against right-handed hitters is .242/.344/.490, which translates to a wRC+ of 125 for him. Meanwhile, his line against left-handed hitters is .209/.293/.329 with a wRC+ of 73. His 2023 numbers were pretty close to those career marks, with a .241/.351/.435 slash and 115 wRC+ with the platoon advantage, and a .186/.327/.279 and 80 wRC+ without.
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen has been open about the team’s desire to add a full-time designated hitter, and Pederson would fit the bill. Although he is able to play a bit of outfield and has even briefly played first base, his glove work has never been highly praised and his time on the turf has decreased over time. He started just 23 games in the outfield in 2023 and pitched just 204 innings that year.
That number could drop even further in 2024 if a deal with the Snakes is finalized.they probably have corbin carroll, alec thomas and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. As a regular outfielder, jake mccarthy and Dominic Fletcher On hand for depth. With those outfielders on the roster, Pederson wouldn’t need to wear the gloves as often.
After making a surprising run to the World Series in 2023, the Diamondbacks are actively working on reloading their roster for 2024. Eugenio Suarez He took over as third baseman and signed a contract. Eduardo Rodriguez This is to strengthen rotation. A deal with Pederson would add another threat to the lineup.
These moves have pushed the club to unprecedented salary levels, even though the RSN contract with Diamond Sports Group falls apart in 2023. Cotto’s baseball contractThe club’s franchise record opening day salary is $132 million. roster resources Already next year’s price tag is expected to be $133 million, and that number will rise even more once Pederson puts pen to paper.