Dodgers Rumors: Joc Pederson Might Be Chicago Bound
According to a report from Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, a trade of Dodgers’ outfielder Joc Pederson to the Chicago White Sox is still in play.
Remember those reports about the White Sox and Dodgers discussing a deal for outfielder Joc Pederson?
Well, apparently, a deal is still possible.@TeddyGreenstein reports: https://t.co/zuygUFlWcd
— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) February 17, 2019
The White Sox and Dodgers were previously connected on a potential Pederson deal in mid-January. Greenstein added a trade is not currently close but not to rule it out.
A Pederson trade to Chicago could be on hold while the free agent market continues to settle. Since there is speculation the White Sox are still interested in signing free agent outfielder Bryce Harper, a Pederson trade could be on hold until Harper announces his decision.
Pederson, a 26-year-old, left-handed hitting left fielder, hit .248/.321/.522 with 25 home runs and a 126 wRC+ for the Dodgers last season. He is a career .228/.339/.456 hitter with 87 home runs and a 118 wRC+.
He is currently in a battle with Alex Verdugo for the starting left field job. It would be unfair to them to sit one of them on the bench so the Dodgers would be wise to move one of them for another useful player.
A player to keep an eye on from the White Sox is left-handed reliever Jace Fry. Fry, 25, was a rookie last season so he still has 5 years of team control left. He posted a 4.38 ERA in 51.1 innings, but more importantly, he checks all the boxes for the type of reliever Andrew Friedman would target. His high spin fastball helped him post a 2.67 FIP and 2.95 xFIP while striking out 12.27 per 9. With improved defense behind him, Fry would likely see his ERA get closer to his FIP.
The Dodgers would likely be able to ask for an additional piece back. It would probably be a lower level minor leaguer with some upside, like Bryce Bush.
Ultimately, the Dodgers have a crowded outfield once again and could benefit from moving one of them in a trade.
Los Angeles Has Enough Aces For Nine MLB Teams
Hey Blake, if Larry Small is still teaching math, tell him I said hi.
I dont like it–There is room for JOC–Toles isnt as good period—Verdugo Pollock Cody-Joc along with Kike & Taylor are fine in the outfield—Here is the Dodgers to start 2019—–Barnes-Cody-Muncy-Seager-Turner-Joc-Pollock-Verdugo—-Or Freese at 1B-3B-Taylor @SS or 2Bor 3B or LF Kike @ 2B SS LF CF RF-Martin Ca–thats 4 on the bench–Pollock will play maybe 120 games–Freese maybe 80 games–Kike & Taylor maybe 120 games-Joc & Verdugo could then play 140 Games Cody 150 games–Turner & Seager 145 games0000others in the minors that could easily play 25 to 30 games would be Will Smith-Gavin Lux-DJ Peters—-Do NOT trade JOC–Hes a Dodger and will hit 28 HRs 270 avg 80 RBIs 80 walks-800 OPS–475 slg and play good defense—do not trade him!
I saw this article yesterday on the Chicago tribune website……..it is just noise…..another “a source told the Tribune”…..the guy who wrote this (Greinstein) did not even explain why this has come up again, what players are supposedly being discussed, nothing………, all he did was reference a rumor from January and drop Pederson’s name.
Thanks for adding perspective; report doesn’t even reach the level of supposition. IF Dodgers trade Pederson it will not be for a reliever and a minor league player not even in organization top 30.
hello SoCal. Not only that but Toles is out indefinitely for ‘personal’ reasons too so a trade with Joc may be on hold for the time being.
You guys might be right but trading Mix would be a good move. There are 3 lefty outfielders fighting for the job, Joc, Verdugo and Toles. Someone has to go. Joc has shown what he can and can’t do. Getting decent minor leaguers for him would help in the future and losing his salary would help at the trade deadline. If they’re not in talks they should be!
I think Pederson could be traded, one month ago there were reports that Joc’s name came up in trade discussions with the Chisox and Indians, but for what return is the question. Right now the Dodgers can platoon Joc and Kiké in LF which should collectively reach All Star level production for the position. There is only one scenario that I can imagine where Dodgers would trade Pederson for prospects — it signs Bryce Harper.
Daniel and SoCalBum the answer to this is how does the FO and Roberts rate Verdugo and Toles versus Pedeseon? As they held on to Verdugo while several clubs reportedly wanted to trade for him tells us they may value him highly.
I know SoCalBum has been vocal at not giving an OF slot to Verdugo before spring. The fight for that OF slot will be interesting.
A guy I talk to a lot is a Chisox fan he thinks if they do not sign Harper they will attempt to trade for Pederson. Apparently it has been talked about a lot in Chisox blogs. I have not seen them myself but I was surprised how certain he was they would try to trade for Pederson.
Timaxter, Dodgers have potentially Vedugo, Toles, Bellinger (if he’s not at 1st base) and Pederson. So it’s obvious that 1 or 2 of all these LHB must be moved. The team has Muncy, Seager as additional LHB . But as I said I did read where Toles will be away from camp for ‘personal’ reasons so wss.
Paul I had not seen that thanks for the information. Personal Reasons is what kept Toles out of baseball after he was a high draft choice. I know everyone hopes whatever the issue he can resolve it and we wish him well.
There is a huge step from Minors to MLB however Verdugo’s splits have been good against LF pitching so we can hope. He has shown to be a patient hitter with a very good OBP.
I remember a lot of teams wanted to draft Verdugo as a pitcher as he has a great arm. He played here in Tucson.
I am 120 miles South in NE Tucson and the weather forecast is for possible light snow on Thursday and precipitation Today, Thursday and Friday we are having a bit of a cold snap for the desert. Hopefully it will get a bit warmer in a few weeks. Never liked sitting in the stands when it is cold and windy which is what is going on right now…
The Dodgers have already LOST something like 28 HomeRuns with their salary dumps…all they picked up was Pollock’s 21….and now everyone is fine losing another 25 (for a total of over 100) from Joc??? Who the hell is gonna score for them???
For one thing, I am not advocating trading Joc for that reason ya gave. If we could get a return of need that benefits this team I would certainly off Verdugo first in any deal.
IF Pederson is traded to ChiSox, I’m willing to say it will be for minor leaguers aka Friedman specialty, just like the trade to the Reds. My concern is the homeruns we are losing i.e. Puig and Kemp and if Pederson is traded his homers when he plays against RHP. Whomever replaces those players i.e. Verdugo, Kike or Taylor can’t be expected to replicate their production?
Instead of trying to hit a three-run homerun every at bat, even with no one on base, we need to do a better job of hitting with RISP. Maybe the new hitting coach will emphasize that.
White Sox and Indians are both in Phoenix for Spring Training. I can still see Joc there. No worries.
Why is everyone worried about home runs? As a once manager i know that home runs don’t win every game. If you have good hitters this will keep guys on bases and scoring. I think that was one of the main things that hurt the Dodgers, not getting enough runners on and the ability to move them around and score them. the so called clutch hits they needed to get them the win was what they didn’t have. Situation game plans, bunt, steal, hit & run, run & hit. They have to use every thing they know how to use and learn it if you don’t know how to do it. the big guns need to know how to bunt ( there wasn’t enough of that last season.) catch the other team by surprise. There are a lot of tools out there, use them Roberts! And all you other coaches,Wake Up!
Ruben, to a point I agree here, BUT the problem lies within our pitching staff that has served them up big time over these last 2 years. 363 of them tobe exact in the regular season. so if the pitching can ‘clean’ that area up, we would not need all the HR’s that were hit.
Ruben I agree when a Team gets to the Playoffs they usually face elite pitching because that is what gets teams to the Playoffs. Bombing HR’s with no one on let’s these guys strut around the bases and show their biceps but those bombs get few to none against the elite type pitchers as we have seen.
When you are against another elite Team with a great pitching staff you have to be able to situational hit, move the man over, steal a base, bunt. Do anything you can to push over a run as a lot of these type games are one run affairs.
Correct on that situation as far as the PS and WS are concerned. We do face the elite pitching staffs, as that’s how they get to the PS. But what the Dodgers big problem was, that even though pitching is considered to be elite, Dodger pitching in these last 2 WS years gave up a combined 23 HR’s themselves in just 12 combined games. A team IS NOT going to win having served up that many.
“he checks all the boxes for the type of reliever Andrew Friedman would target,” wrote Blake about a possible trade from the White Sox for Pederson.
No one has acquired more terrible, damaged, ineffective relief pitchers than Friedman since he came to LA. Who is left to play outfield if Joc is traded?
Paul we all have favorites and you like Pederson and that is the great part of being a fan. I like the potential of Verdugo over Pederson as Joc is a one dimensional offensive threat and for some reason has become an average or below average defender in the field.
Joc is a great clubhouse guy and a good Teammate. Verdugo is faster and has a better arm but lacks Joc’s pop. I have been hoping they can play Muncy at second on some fields and Bellinger move to 1st which would free up an OF slot.
I know they are saying they will platoon less it will be interesting how they get at bats doled out to some of the guys fighting for a position
He (Joc) is not necessarily a favorite, but i was simply saying before that Verdugo needs to earn a spot and again MLB pitching is a different story than minor league pitching. One thing I read was that if Pederson/Kike or CT3 share LF, (because Joc can’t hit LHP) and Pollock is in CF, then Bellinger would be in RF if Muncy/ Freeze play 1st. What I had read also was that if that was the case Verdugo, who still has options would begin at OKC. But like everything else, WSS
Yes WSS
I have the feeling they may make one more trade.
I do not want to see Joc go. I have always liked him and he might just be a late bloomer. Concerning Toles, he has had problems every place he has been, both in college and with Tampa Bay. For me he would have to be a big time player to make up for the baggage, whatever it may be.
Pertaining to Toles. I wish the Dodgers would disclose what the “personal matter” is i.e. health with him or his family, whatever. I thought a few years ago before he tore his ACL, he could help the Dodgers in the speed dept(steal some bases, etc.). But now I’m not so sure, these analytics-types devalue the stolen base aspect of baseball.
I don’t understand all this TRADE JOC TALK???…Toles is out PERIOD!!!…they say personal…that means either Drugs or something worse…AND he never really made it to begin with…so cross him off! The Dodgers lost around 78 Homers with their salary Dumps…with Joc gone that would be over a hundred…WHAT’s GOING ON???
The Dodgers have and get a lot of players either to replace or to help out when someone is injured. Many times they see replacements do a great job and if given the chance they pick him up. so it is with Toles. Why jump to conclusions about anyone’s problems? Toles proved himself that first the first time out for the Dodgers. So he got injured and he’s trying to make it back and your writing him off now? And all you guys with all this crying about losing homers, cut it out. If you know anything about Baseball and have been around long enough to know a lot about Baseball you know homers don’t win all games. It’s nice to have it but not nice to count on it every dang time.
Back in the news about Harper. I think only in an extremely unlikely Harper signing would they trade Pederson to the Sox for relief pitching and/or minor league depth.