These past few days have been busy, to say the least, for the Texas Rangers front office. The team kicked off their Christmas festivities by trading their first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to the Washington Nationals to shed some of their payroll and strengthen their currently dismantled bullpen.
After shipping Lowe off to DC, the Rangers executives quickly got to work on finding someone with a solid bat to replace Lowe in the lineup. The front office quickly landed on Joc Pederson, who has quietly been one of the most efficient players on the offensive side of things these past few years.
Since leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers after helping the team win the World Series in 2020, Pederson has become somewhat of a journeyman. The Rangers will be the fifth organization he will be a member of since 2021.
While Pederson’s tenure with most teams may be inconsistent and unpredictable, his offensive numbers have remained consistently solid throughout his career. He currently holds a .241/.342/.469 career slash line, which is slightly higher than Lowe’s career line. Pederson remained one of the most effective players on offense last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He finished his season with a solid .275/.393/.515 line and smashed 23 home runs through 132 games.
“Joc [Pederson] might be the best value on this year’s market.”@Russ_Dorsey1 reacts to the Rangers’ reported deal with the lefty slugger on #MLBNHotStove. pic.twitter.com/CCbJN058UO
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 23, 2024
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Where Does Joc Pederson Fit with the Rangers?
While Rangers fans should be thrilled to have Joc Pederson’s veteran presence in the lineup, many still wonder which position he will likely cover in 2025. Pederson began his career as a center fielder for the Dodgers and has since spent time in both right and left field, along with some occasional appearances at first base. Throughout all of last season, Pederson remained out of the field entirely, as he served as designated hitter for the Diamondbacks.
When looking at the Rangers’ depth chart going into 2025, it is justified to assume that Pederson will likely play multiple positions for the team. With the outfield pretty shallow at the moment and the team still not knowing whether or not Evan Carter will be healthy enough to start the season, Pederson will likely spend a significant amount of his season in the Rangers’ outfield.
Pederson could also potentially be used at first base at some point during the season. While Jake Burger will more than likely be the Rangers’ everyday first baseman, his concerning track record of injuries and prolonged stints on the injured list could potentially lead to Pederson spending time at first if and when Burger becomes unavailable.
Along with playing in both the outfield and at first base, it is also reasonable to believe that Pederson will see time as the team’s designated hitter. Last season, Rangers slugger Adolis García was the team’s primary DH, but his numbers dropped drastically throughout last season, and he finished his 2024 campaign with some of the lowest totals of his career. The Rangers will likely be looking for other options to help cover the DH role for the team moving forward. Pederson could be the perfect candidate to help fill the role.
The Last Word
The Rangers’ signing of Pederson is one of the biggest moves they have made so far in a very productive and busy offseason. If he works out as well as his numbers indicate, he should be able to help rejuvenate the Rangers’ lineup, which last year was a far cry from the lethal lineup we saw from them throughout the 2023 season. He will also be a great addition to the field and potentially be somewhat of a Swiss Army Knife to a team that is still looking to fill several gaps going into next season.
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