Joc Pederson Agrees to Deal With Texas Rangers

Pederson is a two-time World Series champion.

Kyle Koster | 4 Hours Ago

Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) hits a solo home run against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Chase Field. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

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Texas Rangers

Veteran outfielder Joc Pederson and the Texas Rangers have agreed on a contract pending a physical, The Athletic's' Ken Rosenthal was first to report on Monday morning. The 32-year old left-hander became a free agent last month when he declined a $14 million option from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Pederson, a two-time All Star, has transitioned into more of a platoon player as his career has gone on, but reliably remained capable of delivering in big moments when presented with the opportunity. He hit .275 with 23 home runs and 64 RBIs for Arizona last season, putting together an OPS of .908. Pederson has been a staple of the postseason for the past several years and regarded, scientifically, as a very good vibes guy.

Texas is coming off a disappointing 78-84 campaign in 2024, a season in which they were trying to repeat as World Series champions. Ardolis Garcia, Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter and Leody Taveras are already in place as outfield pieces so it will be intriguing to see just how many opportunities Pederson gets.

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KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.