Reports: Joc Pederson jumps to Giants rival D-backs on one-year deal
Reports: Joc Pederson jumps to Giants rival D-backs on one-year deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Joc Pederson is staying in the NL West, but he reportedly is switching teams.
The veteran outfielder/designated hitter, who played for the Giants in 2022 and 2023, has agreed to one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert and ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported Thursday. The reported deal contains a mutual option for the 2025 season as well.
The @Dbacks deal with Joc Pederson is for 1 year with a mutual option for 2025.
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) January 26, 2024
Can confirm what @SteveGilbertMLB said: The D-backs have agreed to one-year deal with a mutual option with Joc Pederson.
The defending NL champs have added a LH power bat to go with the additions of Eduardo Rodriguez and Eugenio Suarez, plus the return of Lourdes Gurriel Jr.— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) January 26, 2024
USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reported that Pederson's contract is worth a guaranteed $9.5 million for 2024.
Joc Pederson’s one-year contract with a mutual option with the Arizona Diamondbacks is guaranteed for $9.5 million.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 26, 2024
Pederson, who turns 32 in April, earned the second MLB All-Star nod of his career in his first campaign with the Giants, hitting .274/.353/.521 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI in 134 games. But Pederson's offensive production dipped in 2023, when he hit .235/.348/.416 with 15 homers and 51 RBIs in 121 games.
Pederson, who mostly was deployed against right-handed pitchers, posted a .786 OPS over 373 plate appearances versus righties compared to a .606 OPS over 52 plate appearances versus lefties last season.
The Diamondbacks will be the third different NL West team Pederson suits up for after he began his MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. And the two-time World Series champion joins a D-backs club that's fresh off a Cinderella run to the Fall Classic.
The Diamondbacks haven't rested on their laurels after winning the NL pennant, either, picking up Pederson and left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez in free agency while adding infielder Eugenio Suárez via trade.
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