ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have finalized a contract with free agent designated hitter Joc Pederson, according to a reliable source who requested anonymity due to the pending physical requirement for the agreement.
Pederson, who will be joining his third team in as many years, recently experienced a revival from a disappointing 2023 season with the San Francisco Giants. He finished last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, achieving a personal best batting average of .275, along with 23 home runs and 64 RBIs.
This move to sign Pederson may pave the way for Texas to designate slugging corner infielder Jake Burger as the club’s main first baseman. Burger, who also has experience as a designated hitter, was acquired from the Miami Marlins earlier this month. The deal for Pederson follows closely after the Rangers traded Nathaniel Lowe, their first baseman for the previous four seasons, to the Washington Nationals in exchange for left-handed reliever Robert Garcia.
In addition to adding Pederson, the Rangers also strengthened their pitching staff by signing right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong to a one-year contract worth $1.25 million, including potential performance incentives. Furthermore, catcher Sam Huff, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2016 draft, has been designated for assignment.
Throughout his career, the 32-year-old Pederson spent the first six years as a full-time outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and earned an All-Star honor in his rookie season back in 2015. Despite some doubts regarding the Rangers’ outfield lineup, he remains a vital asset for the team.
Pederson faced challenges in his last season with the Dodgers, who won the World Series in 2020 at a neutral site—the Texas Rangers’ home field. He subsequently signed with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent. In his first year with the Cubs, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves, and over the following two offseasons signed with the San Francisco Giants before his stint with the Diamondbacks began last January.
Throughout his career, Pederson has racked up impressive numbers, including a personal record of 36 home runs and 74 RBIs in 2019 with the Dodgers. Last season in Arizona, he achieved his best OPS of .908. The Bay Area native has a career batting average of .241, with totals of 209 home runs and 549 RBIs. His second All-Star selection came while playing for the Giants in 2022.
As for the recently signed Armstrong, he pitched for teams such as Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and the Chicago Cubs in the previous season, finishing with a 3-3 record and a 4.86 ERA over 57 appearances, including seven starts. Overall, he holds an 11-8 record with a 4.15 ERA across 299 games over a decade-long career.
