‘About As Well As Anyone’: CBS Sports Names Texas Rangers Free Agent Joc Pederson Among Under-The-Radar Options

ARLINGTON, Texas — Joc Pederson was one of five players named Saturday in a CBS Sports list of free agents who missed the outlet’s top 50 rankings but could still help a team next season. Pederson became a free agent last week after declining his end of an $18.5 million mutual option with the Texas Rangers.

Mike Axisa, who wrote the list, said platoon designated hitters are not the hottest commodity on the market but that Pederson fills the role “about as well as anyone in the game.” As a left-handed hitter, Pederson sits on the heavy side of a platoon. He slashed .245/.338/.496 against right-handed pitching in 2026, according to CBS Sports. Axisa also pointed to Pederson’s exit velocity and other ball-tracking numbers against righties.

A team can play Pederson in right field or at first base for about six innings before turning to a defensive replacement, Axisa wrote, though he called him essentially a bat-only player. This past season, Pederson appeared in 118 games at designated hitter, 9 at first base, and 3 in right field.

Axisa credited Pederson’s presence in the clubhouse and noted that he turns 35 in April. Pederson was the only Rangers player on the list and one of two position players, with three relievers rounding out the group.

Joc Pederson Hit 26 Home Runs In Second Season With Texas Rangers

Over 136 games this past season, Pederson slashed .235/.329/.487 with 26 home runs, 53 RBI, and an .816 OPS. His 26 home runs ranked second on the team. He drew 49 walks and struck out 102 times in 432 plate appearances.

MLB Trade Rumors’ Anthony Franco wrote that Pederson served as the Rangers’ primary leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching.

That production came a year after Pederson slashed .181/.285/.328 with 9 home runs in 96 games, a 2025 season that included a franchise-record 0-for-41 hitless streak. He fractured his right hand when he was hit by a pitch against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on May 24, 2025, and missed 52 games before Texas activated him July 27.

Pederson laughed about that season when he spoke with The Dallas Morning News in August, with Texas a half game out of a playoff spot and six weeks left in the regular season.

“Last year, I was a non-usable player,” Pederson said. “If I didn’t believe in myself, I couldn’t have gotten back to where I am … and it just shows if you show some belief, and show some confidence in [players], the talent overcomes it.”

Pederson’s two-year, $37 million deal with Texas, signed Dec. 30, 2024, included an opt-out after 2025. He declined it last November and played 2026 for $18.5 million. His 2027 mutual option was worth the same amount and carried no buyout.

Before joining Texas, Pederson hit .275/.393/.515 with 23 homers for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024. He won World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2020) and Atlanta Braves (2021), is a two-time All-Star (2015, 2022), and has 244 career homers over 13 seasons.

Pederson Hits Free Agency With A Lockout Expected After Dec. 1

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported Oct. 30 that Pederson declined his option. The Dallas Morning News later confirmed Texas also declined its side. The Rangers passed on 2027 mutual options for catcher Kyle Higashioka and right-hander Jakob Junis, who joined Pederson on the market.

At his end-of-season news conference Sept. 28, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said the club needed to become “younger,” “more athletic,” and “more dynamic.” Young said earlier this month that he expects the 2027 payroll to stay around $190 million.

Texas also plans to look for trade partners for Corey Seager and Jacob deGrom this offseason, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Seager and deGrom both hold full no-trade clauses.

On Nov. 3, MLB proposed to the players’ union that its salary cap and floor take effect with the 2028 season. Axisa wrote that a flurry of signings and trades should come before the current agreement runs out, with a lockout expected once it does. The collective bargaining agreement expires at 10:59 p.m. CT on Dec. 1.