The Cincinnati Reds will be buying this summer as they seek to turn their team around under renowned manager Terry Francona. Francona retired a few years ago but was lured out of it by the Reds. Cincinnati and Francona would not have reached an agreement unless the long-time Guardians manager believed Cincinnati was serious about winning. Step one in that process will be to win free agency and bring the talent to the Queen City. And the ideal free agent target has entered the market after declining the mutual option on his contract.
Joc Pederson, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ designated hitter, has declined his $14 million mutual option, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, leaving him a free agent this winter. Pederson, 32, hit.275/.393/.515 as a DH in 2024. Over 132 games and 367 at-bats, Pederson hit 23 home homers. Over the past three seasons, the lefty has averaged 26 home runs per 162 games. Pederson’s.515 slugging percentage would have been the highest among qualified players on the Reds’ 2024 roster. According to Baseball Savant, Pederson would have also benefited from playing at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. According to Baseball Savant, Pederson would have hit 24 home runs in Cincinnati, compared to 23 in Arizona.
That isn’t a significant difference, but according to Baseball Savant, Pederson would have 229 career home runs in Cincinnati, compared to his current 195. It’s only a hypothetical, but it’s worth considering. Cincinnati could need a middle-of-the-lineup bat to support its dangerous shortstop, Elly De La Cruz.
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