Editorials

Dodgers News: Joc Pederson Not Guaranteed To Take Over In Center Field

Joc Pederson

Entering an offseason in which they needed to trade an outfielder or two, the Los Angeles Dodgers first added to their surplus. They traded for Kyle Jensen, though it was a move that figured to impact their their Minor League teams and followed it by acquiring Chris Heisey from the Cincinnati Reds.



Since that point, Jensen was designated for assignment Friday so that the Dodgers could add Jimmy Rollins to the 40-man roster and Matt Kemp was traded to the San Diego Padres. The Kemp trade not only removed a significant contract from the Dodgers’ payroll but also figured to clear the path for Joc Pederson to take over in center field.

However, on a conference call following Howie Kendrick’s introductory press conference, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman revealed Pederson being handed the reins isn’t a guarantee.

“I don’t know yet,” Friedman said. “I think we’ll take some time in Spring Training and assess that. Get a feel for him in camp and how he’s handling things. I’m sure it’ll be an ongoing discussion from now through the end of March.”

Last season was Pederson’s first in Triple-A and it was a record year as he became the first Pacific Coast League player in 80 years to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases. His success earned him a September callup to the Dodgers, where he appeared in 18 games.

If Pederson isn’t the player that takes over in center field, Friedman said the Dodgers could turn to any number of players including Heisey, Andre Ethier, Kike Hernandez, or Yasiel Puig. The general consensus within the organization is Pederson the team’s best option in center field, and manager Don Mattingly recently compared him to Colorado Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez.

Should Pederson take over center field responsibilities, it would give the Dodgers their best defensive full-time option since the 2011 version of Kemp, but they would also need to withstand the growing pains that are sure to come at the plate given Pederson’s history of striking out often.

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20 Comments

  1. What a waste…trade for a guy then DFA the guy a month later…..these morons have shown me nothing

        1. They don’t really have a need for him at the moment. Even after the Kemp trade they are still crowded in the outfield. Crawford/Pederson/Puig outfield is highly likely. They still have Either and Van Slyke. They would have included Jensen in another trade situation if they would have gotten takers. They did not. No big loss. Just need one more monster pitcher and all will be great in the Dodger world.

          1. Still a waste and Joc not guaranteed the job, and frankly , I do not think he is ready. Ethier is worthless…..and good luck waiting on that MONSTER pitcher cause that ain’t happening…Rotation is Kersh, Greinke, Ryu, McCarthy, and Anderson…with Nicasio in the wings….they are 23 million over the luxury tax as they stand right now…so Scherzer or Shields ain’t coming and there will be no trade for Hamels..

          2. You can only have 40 on the roster. Who would you have released?

          3. First off….never would have traded for something I did not need in the first place…second Anderson is not even on the roster yet so still another sideways move has to be made…..I am guessing….they might put Withrow back on the DL since there is no way he is going to be ready for spring training……

          4. Should be interesting. I am happy that they are writing off as much of the bad debt as possible this year. Cleaning house per say. Everything will look a lot cleaner next year for sure and they will likely be a contender again this year. I see a lot of good here.

          5. Well we agree to disagree…they spend 48 million on a pitcher who is below .500 lifetime…..he is a sinkerballer so they are counting on better defense.(Rollins,Kendrick, Grandal) to make up for the fact that they are going to really ha trouble scoring runs…..and SD got better again today…..I have no faith in Grandal even coming close to being as good as they think he is. And next year 3/4 of the infield are free agents……Uribe, Kendrick and Rollins…and again they are going to count on a rookie (Seager) to step in and do the job….that is putting a lot of faith in rookies, and I have seen far too many fall flat on their face…..they still have not addressed the biggest headache…the BP…they say they have, but with who? Peralta? the guy is 39…..Hatcher I never heard of…..and where in any language does it say you completely blow up a 94 win team…….crazy…..

    1. It takes a moron to know one except in this case there is only one moron and it isn’t Friedman! Are you a troll as it looks like that because you have been doing nothing but arguing with other posters and cutting down every move the Dodgers make.

      1. Been rooting for this team a hell of a lot longer than you….and I disagree with the moves….that is my choice….To me it was a nothing move….wastes roster space and then you let the guy go? You agree with this? Sorry, I do not. as far as trolling. I do not troll this site…they do something I agree with and I will post that..so far they have shown me nothing…and after being a fan for over 60 years I have that right….

        1. If you’ve been a Dodger fan for over 60 years then you’ve seen some very poor owners like the Mccourts but you haven’t given the new owners and especially the new General manager a chance. I believe the Dodgers will not only be better for 2015 but more importantly for the next few years. How about at least give the new execs a chance before cutting down every move. I believe a true Dodger fan wants a better Dodger future not just for 2015.

          1. Trust me….the only really bad owner was McCourt….Fox made some bad trades, but for the most part they tried to win….For most of that time it was the O’Malleys. I thought the new owners showed a lot of willingness to win when they brought in Hanley, and the huge Red Sox trade…so I trust them more than you think…..But if I do not agree with a move, I feel I should say something. First off, trading one of your better hitters within your own division is not a smart move. I think they could have made a better deal than the one they did with the Padres. Granted, Hanley was not worth what he was asking or what he got from Boston. I am not dumb about those things. bringing him back was not an option. And Kemp is easier to trade than Ethier. And the future? Well yeah, I want them to win every year, but getting guys and then just letting them go a couple of weeks later…..makes no sense..and I do not agree with wasting a roster spot,.,,,I do not think McCarthy is that big an upgrade from Haren, and Anderson has physical issues….they still need to make yet another roster move to add Anderson… who gets cut this time? I also will grant you that I am not a huge fan of the way they grade players now…sabermetrics can judge a lot of things, but it cannot judge heart. I do not believe that Grandal is that big an upgrade….now maybe he will prove me wrong, and I hope he does…Maybe Joc plays like a young Ken Griffey….but that is a lot of ifs…….but I will guarantee you this….for the next couple of years…..Matt Kemp in a Padre uniform is going to come back and haunt these guys….

          2. I would be willing to bet that Matt Kemp won’t even be playing 3 more years as he started breaking down 2 years ago and injuries will just keep piling up until he won’t be able to hold water so trading him now and bringing in youth (Joc Pederson) is the right move for the Dodgers.

          3. Yes….Matt had injuries…but the worse one was when he hit the wall in Colorado..That started it all….personally, I think you would lose your bet…..Matt might never be what he once was..but he seemed pretty determined at his press conference…after all ..he is only 30..

      2. I am sure that if you disagreed with the moves you would voice that…..I am not the only one who dislikes the trades..I am just more vocal about it…..

  2. If the Giants get Shields,and the Padres keep on making good moves.I see ths Dodger squad as a good third or fourth place team. The Dodgers played money ball back in ’05 and ’06.though DePodesta didn’t make as many stupid moves as this bunch has made . On paper the ’05 money ball team looked good going into the season many of the Veterans DePodesta signed , Robin Ventura, JD Drew , either had season ending injuries or didn’t quite pan out,or opted out of their expensive contract a few years later . Oh yeah, they also had minor league prospects fill in at key positions I see history repeating itself . I think DePodesta assembled a better team than this one and still ended the season standings in the middle of the pack !

  3. I have the utmost of confidence in the current Front office group of Friedman Zaid ,and Byrnes. They consult the “Magic 8 Ball” every time they make a player personal move …. “The outlook is highly doubtful!”

  4. Id like to see the team platoon Van Slyte and Crawford. give thm both about 350 AB’s, flexiblity. Van Slyte is going to surprise people. Quality guy decent outfielder with power to spare

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