The Cubs have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent outfielder Joc Pederson, according to The Athletic. The deal is reportedly worth $7 million.
Pederson fills an immediate need for the Cubs in the outfield and bolsters both their defense and offense against right-handed pitching. He’d likely get the majority of the playing time in left field with Ian Happ in center.
The 28-year-old outfielder has been especially effective against right-handed pitching with a .238/.349/.501 slash line, .849 OPS and 121 of his 130 homers coming from the left side.
With Pederson being much better against right-handed pitching, the Cubs would be better served using him in a platoon with a right-handed counterpart. Recent acquisition Phillip Ervin has been productive against left handers in his career. Super-utility man Nico Hoerner could also get some reps in the outfield in a platoon situation.
In 2,517 plate appearances, the left-handed hitting Pederson owns a .230/.336/.470 hitting line with 130 home runs in seven seasons, all with the Dodgers. He has hit 25 or more homers in four seasons. In 2020, Pederson hit .190/.285/.397 with seven homers in 43 games after hitting .249/.339/.538 with career highs in homers (36) and RBI (74) in 2019.
In the 2020 postseason, Pederson was 13-for-34 with two homers for the World Series champion Dodgers.
The Cubs lost left fielder Kyle Schwarber in free agency this offseason. Schwarber signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Nationals.
After being relatively quiet this offseason, the Cubs have started to round out the roster, filling an immediate need with Pederson. The Cubs signed right-hander Kohl Stewart to a one-year, $700,000 deal Thursday.
The Pederson deal is pending a physical.
