Diamondbacks’ Joc Pederson declines mutual option, to enter free agency, per reports
Nov 2, 2024, 10:15 AM | Updated: 10:19 am
Joc Pederson at the plate for the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 14,2024. (Felisa Cardenas/Arizona Sports).
(Felisa Cardenas/Arizona Sports)
Joc Pederson has reportedly declined his $14 million mutual option with the Diamondbacks for 2025, entering free agency after one stellar season in Arizona.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers on Saturday first reported the decision.
Pederson stepped into a designated hitter role against right-handed pitchers, and he fared extremely well in the three-hole between Ketel Marte and Christian Walker.
The 32-year-old smacked 23 home runs with a .908 OPS bolstered by a .515 slugging percentage. He and Walker hit back-to-back home runs four times this past season, tied for the club record by a duo with Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez.
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Pederson became the first Diamondbacks player to record four hits in his debut, as he reached base in his first seven plate appearances. He reached milestones such as 10 years of MLB service time, 200 career home runs and 500 career RBIs.
He and Randal Grichuk — who also declined a mutual option — gave the Diamondbacks their best DH output to date.
Arizona’s DHs recorded an .891 OPS in 2024, which ranked third in Major League Baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers with Shohei Ohtani and the Atlanta Braves with Marcell Ozuna.
In 2023, D-backs DHs worked a .678 OPS, which ranked 27th in MLB.
After the season, Pederson expressed his pleasure with the experience playing in Arizona.
“It was a really good group,” Pederson said during exit interviews. “It was a really good young group last year. I think it matured and we made some steps in the right direction this year, dealt with a lot of injuries, overcame some things. It’s still probably lot of the same group moving forward.
“I loved my time here. It was a great experience.”
Pederson joins free agents Grichuk, Walker, Paul Sewald, Kevin Newman and Josh Bell.
