Texas Rangers Adding Joc Pederson, One-Dimensional Bat Hoping To Revitalize Career

The 11-year MLB veteran has 209 home runs and 181 doubles and a career .241 batting average, including 23 homers and 64 RBI for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024.

Sep 8, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers did not waste much time replacing a hole left by Nathaniel Lowe's departure.

The club is signing slugger Joc Pederson to a two-year, $37 million deal with an opt out after the first season, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. The Rangers have yet to announce the deal.

Pederson, who turns 33 in April, is likely to be the club's designated hitter, which allows young slugger Jake Burger, acquired in a trade two weeks ago, to fill Lowe's vacancy at first base on a more full-time basis.

Pederson spent his first seven MLB seasons in the outfield for the Los Angeles Dodgers before spending the past four seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He batted .275 with 23 homers, 17 doubles and 64 RBI in 130 games for the D-Backs in 2024.

Pederson did not play the field at all for Arizona in 2024 and played the field in just 38 games for the Giants in 2023.

In his 11 seasons, he's hit more than 30 homers only once — 36 for the Dodgers in 2019 when he also had a career-high 74 RBI. His single-season high in doubles is 27 in 2018. He hasn't reached 20 doubles in the past six seasons.

The Rangers are still in desperate need for a closer (or two), the only remaining hole on their 2025 roster. Club president Chris Young said the club is still pursuing backend help.

"I'm very happy with the moves we've made, adding Hoby [Milner], Jacob Webb, Shawn Armstrong, Robert Garcia, but certainly we we don't want to stop," Young said. "We feel like we're trying to build a team that can compete for a division title and hopefully a World Series championship, and we're going to need to continue to pursue leverage arms, and that's not going to be just this offseason. That's going to be into the season as well."

Joc Pederson's deal with the Texas Rangers: 2 years, $37 million, with an opt-out after the first year. A perfect fit for their lineup.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 23, 2024

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