Reports: Joc Pederson, Texas Rangers agree on contract

Free agent slugger Joc Pederson has agreed to join the Texas Rangers, according to multiple reports early Monday morning. It leaves the Arizona Diamondbacks’ designated hitter spot a question mark at this point in the offseason.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, it’s a two-year, $37 million deal with an opt-out after the first season.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first one to report the agreement.

The terms of the contract were not immediately known.

How did Joc Pederson earn a new contract from the Rangers?

Pederson declined a $14 million mutual option with a $3 million buyout from the Diamondbacks at the start of the offseason to enter free agency ahead of his age 33 season.

The D-backs inked Pederson to a $12.5 million deal for 2024, and the veteran was just about as good as the D-backs bargained for in his role. Pederson did not play an inning in the field and seldom faced left-handers.

Pederson crushed right-handed pitchers, producing a career-high .908 OPS (.275/.393/.515) in 132 games while batting third for the D-backs against righties. He added 23 home runs for an offense that led Major League Baseball in scoring, creating a powerful 1-2 punch with Christian Walker behind Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte. He was particularly outstanding in July and August when he earned a 1.050 OPS with 11 homers in 43 games.

Joc Pederson comes off the bench and gives the @Dbacks the lead with his 3rd homer in his last 4 games 🐍 pic.twitter.com/mcKIWChXpb

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2024

Looking at his year-over-year trajectory, what has remained consistent are his abilities to work walks and reach base (12.2% walk rate in 2024) along with simply hitting the ball harder than most other players (92.3 mph exit velocity in 2024). He is in the upper echelon of baseball in both metrics, per Statcast.

The veteran also reached 10 years of MLB service time and provided another trusted voice in the clubhouse. He put in effort to ingratiate himself right away, hiring a taco truck for the team during spring training and hosting his teammates for off-field bonding.

After the season, he said he enjoyed his experience and would be happy to come back, noting “it was a really good young group last year. I think it matured and we made some steps in the right direction this year.”

Rosenthal reported the D-backs had interest in bringing Pederson back after a successful season in the Valley. Arizona entered the offseason with Walker, Pederson and outfielder Randal Grichuk hitting the market, opening holes in the formidable lineup from 2024.

Walker has since agreed to sign with the Houston Astros.

Meanwhile, Arizona went out and found his replacement, acquiring former Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor in exchange for right-hander Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick.

General manager Mike Hazen said after the trade that Arizona’s DH plans remain fluid, but there is still a lot of work to do this offseason.

Pederson spent 2014-20 with the Los Angeles Dodgers before splitting time in 2021 with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves, winning the World Series with Atlanta. He signed with the San Francisco Giants, where he spent two season before his contract with Arizona.

Related

Diamondbacks acquire 1B Josh Naylor from Guardians to replace Christian WalkerReport: Christian Walker to sign with Astros after 8-year run with DiamondbacksDiamondbacks’ Max Kepler playing catch-up, focusing on daily process after missing first halfDiamondbacks president: I’m sure we’ll talk to Gabriel Moreno about his futureDiamondbacks walked off by Pirates, drop 3 straight vs. Wild Card competitorsDiamondbacks deadline: Left-handed bats to watch in trade rumors