2x All-Star Joc Pederson sends BOLD message to Astros following move to Rangers
Joc Pederson sent a strong message to the Houston Astros after joining their rivals, the Texas Rangers on a two-year $34 million deal.
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Joc Pederson (Image via X)
A few days ago, the Texas Rangers added firepower to their batting lineup. The 2023 World Series winner roped in two-time MLB All-Star Joc Pederson on a two-year deal. During his introductory press conference on Monday, the 32-year-old sent a bold message to Rangers’ rivals, the Houston Astros.
Over the past decade, the Houston Astros have emerged as the dominant force in the MLB. They have dominated the American League West division and claimed seven titles in the last ten years. On top of that, they have made four trips to the World Series – winning it twice in 2017 and 2022 and losing in 2019 and 2021.
In 2023, the Rangers and the Astros met in the American League Championship Series. In a topsy-turvy seven-game series, the Rangers came out on top and went on to claim their first World Series title later.
Despite this, the Astros are still considered by many as the dominant force in the AL West. Pederson was a part of the Atlanta Braves side that defeated the Astros in the 2021 World Series. In his introductory press conference, he would recall this meeting and claimed that their run is “coming to an end“.
We’ve played the Astros in the World Series. They’ve put together a nice little run. It’s coming to an end. It’s time for us to take over the West.
Joc Pederson said as Kennedi Landry of MLB.com
Joc is confident that his new team will dethrone the Astros pic.twitter.com/jZmuiXqE2n
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 31, 2024
Pederson joins the Rangers on a two-year $34 million deal. He also has a mutual option for the year 2027, which could see him extend his stay with the team for another season.
In January 2024, he signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went on to play in 132 games and hit 23 home runs and batted in 64 runs. He also set career highs in batting average (.275), on-base percentage (.393) and OPS (.908).
Joc Pederson labels move to Rangers as ‘great fit’
After winning the World Series in 2023, the Texas Rangers failed to return to the postseason in 2024. Their lack of offense was one of the key reasons for this. The team has now added Joc Pederson to the lineup, hoping for a revival in the offensive area. The outfielder has claimed his move to the Rangers to be a ‘great fit‘.
During the introductory press conference, the former Los Angeles Dodgers star stated that his goals aligned a lot with the Rangers. He further expressed that the lineup of the Rangers is unbelievable.
I think it’s a great fit. A lot of our goals align. The Rangers obviously won a World Series in ’23 and they’re not satisfied. They want to continue to win, and I want to be in a place that wants to win…It’s an unbelievable lineup. I think I fit in really well.
Joc Pederson said as per MLB.com
Here to win. pic.twitter.com/kVdWmiNXh2
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) December 31, 2024
In other offseason moves, the Rangers have re-signed right-hander Nathan Eovaldi to a three-year, $75 million contract. They also acquired the power-hitting abilities of Jake Burger through a trade from the Miami Marlins this month. With the addition of Pederson, the Rangers could make a strong comeback in the 2025 season.
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Vinay Dave
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