The Dodgers will probably make a few moves this off-season that impact key members of their long-standing core — left-handed outfielder Joc Pederson being amongst those most likely to be impacted.
Pederson, 27, is heading into the final year of arbitration with the Dodgers and seems poised to cash in on a large pay day. With the Dodgers capable of pulling off blockbuster trades with their insane prospect depth, major league depth, and financial flexibility, Pederson could easily be a piece moved to match contracts.
Let the record books show that Joc Pederson won the 2017 World Series MVP…. among dodgers he had most HR (3), most R (6), tied for most H (6) and RBI (5), best OPS (1.344, next closest with 10+ AB was CT3 at 0.751) pic.twitter.com/n319uSb5xW
— THE LAKER DUDE (@thedodgerdude) November 21, 2019
ESPN’s David Schoenfield identified Pederson as one of MLB’s top ten likeliest players to be dealt that are not named Mookie Betts or Francisco Lindor. The funny thing is, Pederson could very easily be dealt in a trade for one of those two men.
Within Schoenfield’s analysis of Pederson’s standing with the Dodgers and the rest of the league, he presents a lot of excellent points.
AJ Pollock
The presence of AJ Pollock on the roster may find a way to oust Pederson. The Dodgers signed Pollock to be an everyday regular last offseason and would probably have little to no interest in putting him on the short side of a platoon with Joc Pederson.
Underrated
Joc Pederson is underrated and under-appreciated. It’s hard to love a hitter as streaky as Pederson, but he is pretty darn productive year in and year out. He crushed 36 home runs last season and put up 3.0 WAR — pretty good for a platoon player. He will likely never be anything more than a platoon player due to his well-documented struggles against left-handed pitching, but he is still very valuable for what he is.
Trade Use
Pederson could fetch a good reliever or be used in a deal for a big bat. The possibilities are truly endless. The main thing is, though, that he is due around $9 million in arbitration. Is a platoon player, as good as Pederson is being taken into account, worth that price? We will see what the Dodgers think this winter.
