Your new favorite Ranger is Joc Pederson
Sure, it is just a prediction, but I bet this piece will convince you to look in his direction.
I guess I was busy this Christmas and a major sports story in the market was not given a single word in this newsletter when it occurred.
For that, I have some regrets. But, here it is as it was printed on December 23rd by Jeff Passan:
Outfielder Joc Pederson and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Pederson, 32, hit .275/.393/.515 last year, destroyed right-handed pitching and is regarded as an elite clubhouse presence.
Part of me wishes I could be on top of things a bit better, but during the football season, I hesitate to say I will do better in the future.
The truth is that if a signing happens on December 23rd for the Rangers, it would probably have to be at the DeGrom level for me to drop everything and write about it. It really probably is best left to Jamey Newberg, anyway. He has more baseball knowledge in his pinkie than I have in my whole body. He was prepared for the day of moving out Nathaniel Lowe to make room for Joc and it didn’t surprise him at all.
Nevertheless, I remember reading this and raising an eye-brow to how much AAV Joc Pederson was able to get ($18.5 million) and went on with my December 23rd (which was a day that included a cross-country flight and then an evening at Lambeau Field for me).
And, after much contemplation, I obviously have some regrets. I have some blind spots. That blind spot was probably best seen in that I went back about my business in football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and everything else and didn’t really spend much time thinking about this move until a few weeks ago.
Did Joc Pederson signing this winter move my needle? Apparently, not really. Not at first, at least.
But, today we fix that.
Two weeks ago, I spent a lot of time on the top issue with the Rangers from 2023 to 2024. If you read it, you know it was my focus on the team dropping its OPS from 3rd in MLB to 23rd in one season. The piece was focusing on how pretty much every single man in the lineup but Josh Smith dropped either a small amount or a ton in this very important stat from year-to-year.
Then, I wrote something that haunts me and I want to own it today: