According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the National League Champion Arizona Diamondbacks have signed former San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson. The Diamondbacks have been aggressive this offseason, already having signed starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, re-signing Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and trading for Eugenio Suarez. Pederson is expected to be a full-time designated hitter in Arizona. The team has neither confirmed the report nor announced the terms of the deal.
Touring the NL West
This will be Pederson’s third team in the NL West. The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him in 2010. He made his major league debut for them as a September call-up on September 1, 2014. Pederson took over as the starting center fielder as a rookie in 2015. He made the All-Star team his rookie season and finished second in the Home Run Derby in Cincinnati. Overall, he slashed .210/.346/.417 (101-for-480) with 26 home runs, 19 doubles, 54 RBI, a .335 wOBA, and 10.1 wRAA as a rookie.
Free Agency
In 2016, he slashed .246/.352/.495 (100-for-406) with 25 home runs, 26 doubles, 68 RBI, a .360 wOBA, and 16.3 wRAA. His production slipped in 2017 before returning to the 2016 level in both 2018 and 2019.
Prior to the 2021 season, he signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. Pederson slashed .230/.300/.418 with 11 home runs, 11 doubles, and 39 RBI in the Windy City before being traded at the Deadline to the Atlanta Braves. Pederson slashed .249/.325/.428 with seven home runs, eight doubles, and 22 RBI for the Braves en route to the 2021 World Series title.
Hometown Team
After the World Series, he signed with his hometown team, the San Francisco Giants. Having grown up in San Mateo, a suburb of San Francisco, Pederson was a Giants fan as a kid. He represented the the Giants at the All-Star Game held at his old stomping grounds, Dodger Stadium. In 2022, Pederson slashed .274/.353/.521 (104-for-380) with 23 home runs, 19 doubles, three triples, 70 RBI, a .373 wOBA, and a career-high 21.8 wRAA. He re-signed with the team for 2023, slashing .235/.348/.416 with 15 home runs, 14 doubles, three triples, 51 RBI, a .331 wOBA, and 4.4 wRAA.
Diamondbacks Look to Compete
The Diamondbacks are looking to jump-start their offense that went dormant in the World Series against the Texas Rangers. They surprised the league with their second World Series appearance in franchise history after a series of upsets.
Update: Steve Gilbert of MLB.com announced via X (formerly Twitter) that the contract is for one year with mutual option for 2025.
