Report: Pederson drawing interest from Cardinals, Brewers, White Sox
Joc Pederson is getting some looks from a trio of Midwest teams.
The Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago White Sox are interested in the free-agent slugger, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Pederson is coming off a difficult season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, slashing a career-low .190/.285/.397 with only seven homers across 43 games while primarily facing right-handed pitching. He turned things around in the playoffs, though, posting a .991 OPS with eight RBIs during the Dodgers' World Series title run.
Pederson has provided a solid left-handed bat with plenty of power over his six full seasons with L.A. He's hit 25-plus homers four times since 2015, including a career-high 36 in 2019. However, he's also struggled against left-handers, posting extreme splits that suggest Pederson might be best deployed in a platoon role.
Pederson's career splits
| Role | PA | AVG | OPS | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs. RH | 2132 | .238 | .849 | 121 | 270 |
| vs. LH | 385 | .191 | .576 | 9 | 33 |
Defensively, he's logged experience at all three outfield spots, but Pederson has played better as a corner outfielder. He also appeared at first base 20 times in 2019.
Pederson could address an immediate need in Chicago's right-handed heavy lineup, and the All-Star would add some extra punch to an order that already features Tim Anderson and AL MVP Jose Abreu.
In Milwaukee, Pederson could be an ideal platoon partner in right field with Avisail Garcia, who struggled versus right-handers this past season. The Cardinals, meanwhile, already boast a surplus of outfielders, but they could use Pederson in both corner spots as part of a group with Dylan Carlson and Dexter Fowler.