PHOENIX — A day after saying he was still considering adding bats, D-backs general manager Mike Hazen is doing just that, as Arizona agreed to a one-year deal with free agent Joc Pederson that includes a mutual option in 2025. That’s what I did. Baseball sauce.
The club has not commented or confirmed the deal.
Pederson is the latest addition made this offseason by last season’s National League champions in hopes of improving a team that went 84-78 during the regular season and advanced to the postseason.
In addition to re-signing outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the D-backs also acquired third baseman Eugenio Suarez and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
Coach Hazen said Wednesday that he expects to add offensive help, and if a player is limited to a DH role, he needs to be a “player that can be added to the middle of our lineup.” he said.
Pederson played the Giants as an outfielder the past two seasons, but defense is not his strong suit and he will likely spend most of his playing time as a DH against right-handed pitchers.
After briefly making his debut with the Dodgers in 2014, he was named to the National League All-Star team the following year and had an outstanding rookie season, hitting 26 home runs. Pederson played seven seasons in Los Angeles, hitting 25 or more long balls in four seasons.
Pederson earned the nickname “Joctover” after batting .382 with two home runs and eight RBIs in the 2020 World Series with the Dodgers. A year later, Pederson would add to his postseason accomplishments by hitting three more home runs for the Braves in the playoffs during the World Series-winning 2021 season.
In 2024, Pederson will look to repeat the form he showed during the 2022 season, his first with the Giants, and perhaps the best season of his career at the plate. Pederson hit 23 home runs and posted a career-high 146 wRC+, which tied for the ninth-highest rate among players with at least 400 at-bats. His expected slugging percentage (.502) and hard-hit percentage (52.1 percent) both ranked in his 95th percentile.
Pederson took a step back in 2023, but there’s reason to think he was a little unlucky at the plate. Pederson only had a 111 wRC+ and 15 home runs in 358 at-bats in 2023, but he actually increased his hard-hitting percentage while decreasing his strikeouts and increasing his walk rate. His BABIP (.268) and his HR/FB rate (13.3%) were both well below his career average.