Joc Pederson agrees to a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks

PHOENIX — A day after saying he was still looking to add a bat, D-backs general manager Mike Hazen did just that as Arizona agreed to a one-year deal with free agent Joc Pederson that includes a mutual option for 2025, per A Baseball Source .

The club did not comment or confirm the deal.

Pederson is another addition the reigning Premier League champions have made this offseason in hopes of improving on a team that went 84-78 during the regular season before roaring through the postseason.

The D-backs also added third baseman Eugenio Suarez and left fielder Eduardo Rodriguez as well as re-signing outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Hazen said Wednesday that he's still hoping to add some offensive help, and said that if he's going to be limited to a DH role, he'll need to be “someone who's going to add to the middle of our lineup.”

While Pederson has played at times for the Giants over the past two seasons, defense is not his strong suit and he will likely see almost all of his playing time as a DH against right-handed pitching.

After briefly debuting with the Dodgers in 2014, Pederson enjoyed an excellent rookie season the following year, making the NL All-Star team and hitting 26 home runs. Pederson would play parts of seven seasons with Los Angeles, hitting more than 25 long balls in four.

In 2020, Pederson earned the nickname “Jocktober” after hitting .382 with two home runs and eight RBIs during the Dodgers' World Series run. A year later, Pederson would build on his postseason legacy with three more home runs for the Braves in the playoffs during their World Series-winning 2021 campaign.

In 24, Pederson will look to channel the form he showed during the 2022 season, his first with the Giants, which was perhaps the best season of his career at the plate. Pederson hit 23 home runs and posted a career-best 146 wRC+, which was tied for ninth-highest in baseball among those with at least 400 plate appearances. His expected slugging percentage (.502) and strikeout rate (52.1 percent) ranked in the 95th percentile.

While Pederson has taken a step back in 2023, there is reason to believe he has been a bit unlucky at the plate. Pederson hit just 15 home runs with a 111 wRC+ in 358 at-bats in 2023, but he actually upped his hard-hit rate while reducing his strikeouts and increasing his walk rate. His BABIP (.268) and HR/FB rate (13.3 percent) were well below his career average.