The Texas Rangers have come to an agreement with free agent designated hitter Joc Pederson, as confirmed by a source familiar with the situation on Monday. The source asked to remain unnamed due to the fact that the agreement is waiting on a physical exam.
This signing marks Pederson’s third team in as many years. After a less-than-stellar season in 2023 with the San Francisco Giants, he rebounded impressively last year while playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, achieving a career-high batting average of .275 alongside 23 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Pederson’s addition could pave the way for the Texas Rangers to solidify slugging corner infielder Jake Burger as the main first baseman. Earlier this month, the Rangers acquired Burger from Miami, where he also had experience as a designated hitter. The move to sign Pederson comes just one day after the Rangers traded away Nathaniel Lowe, their primary first baseman for the past few seasons, to the Washington Nationals in exchange for left-handed reliever Robert Garcia.
Additionally, the Rangers secured another reliever on Monday by finalizing a one-year, $1.25 million contract with right-hander Shawn Armstrong, which includes performance bonuses amounting to $250,000 based on innings pitched. These bonuses will pay out $50,000 for every 10 innings pitched starting from 20 up to 60. In a related move, Texas designated catcher Sam Huff, who was a seventh-round draft choice in 2016, for assignment.
Joc Pederson, aged 32, spent his initial six full seasons in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was named an All-Star during his rookie year in 2015. The Rangers are facing some uncertainty in their outfield roster.
Pederson faced challenges in his final season with the Dodgers, who claimed the World Series title in 2020 at the neutral site of the Texas Rangers. Following that season, he signed with the Chicago Cubs but was then traded to the Atlanta Braves. Over the next two offseasons, Pederson signed with the San Francisco Giants before joining the Diamondbacks last January.
Throughout his career, Pederson has recorded personal bests of 36 home runs and 74 RBIs in a season while playing for the Dodgers in 2019. His standout OPS of .908 was achieved last season with Arizona. The Bay Area native has a career batting average of .241, with a total of 209 home runs and 549 RBIs, and made his second All-Star appearance with the Giants in 2022.
Shawn Armstrong, aged 34, pitched last season for the Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs. He completed the season with a record of 3-3 and a 4.86 ERA across 57 games, including seven starts. Over the span of his 10-year career, Armstrong has accumulated an overall record of 11-8 with a 4.15 ERA in 299 games.
