It has been a busy past few days for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who reportedly agreed to terms with top free agent starting pitcher Trevor Bauer on a record-setting three-year contract. The club also remains in contact with Justin Turner, who would fill a pressing need at third base.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Dodgers saw Joc Pederson depart the organization for a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. He essentially replaces Kyle Schwarber, who was non-tendered by the organization earlier this offseason.
Pederson, 28, is coming off another uneven showing during the regular season but strong performance in the playoffs. He hit safely in eight of 16 postseason games, producing two home runs and a .991 on-base plus slugging percentage en route to helping the Dodgers win their first World Series since 1988.
At the start of the winter Pederson was considered likely to sign with another club due to his desire to become an everyday player. He confirmed as much in an article he penned for The Players’ Tribune:
And then on my end, you know, it was really pretty simple: I want a chance to play every day. I hope everyone can understand that aspect of where I’m coming from. Being an everyday player….. it’s what I’ve trained for. It’s what I’ve worked for and played for since the moment I picked up a glove.
“My entire life, I’ve wanted to be seen as the kind of player who just gets punched into the lineup card, every day, rightie or leftie, no questions asked. The kind of player who gets left in for the whole game, regardless of what matchups the other team is trying to exploit. The kind of player who is just….. a ballplayer. Not a part-time player. Not a specialist. A full-time, everyday, All-Star caliber player.
Throughout most of his seven-year stint with the Dodgers, Pederson was relegated to a platoon role. The only exception was the 2015 season, when he set career highs in games played (151) and plate appearances (585).
Had Pederson re-signed with the Dodgers, he likely would have been reduced to platoon duties once again, given his struggles against left-handed pitching and the club’s abundance of outfielders.
Now with the Cubs, Pederson will look to seize the starting job in left field created by Schwarber’s departure. Should he put together a solid campaign, he’ll have an opportunity to test free agency next year and perhaps sign a more lucrative contract.
Pederson has ‘intense’ emotions leaving Dodgers for Cubs
Among other topics discussed in his farewell essay, Pederson touched on a lesson he teaches his daughter and having mixed emotions over closing one chapter to begin another.
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