Dodgers Reaction: Joc Pederson Will Be Needed Down The Stretch
So far, Pederson’s offensive tribulations have yet to disrupt his defense in the outfield or sour his relationship with his teammates. Fortunately, the front office has created a roster such that there are players in which they can go to in order to offset some of the rookie’s rough plate appearances. With the addition of Chase Utley, along with a healthy Carl Crawford, the Dodgers have the flexibility to allow Pederson the time to work out of his scuffle.
I’m all for allowing Pederson to work out the kinks on the big league roster. Yet if the Giants make a late-season run at the NL West title, the Dodgers will have to put out their best possible lineup in the final weeks. Although Hernandez has been fantastic this year for the Dodgers, ultimately they will need Pederson’s bat and defense to rise to the occasion in order to capture that division title and succeed in the playoffs.
Giving up on Pederson is not an option for the Dodgers, because he is going to be a vital part of this franchise for years to come. The 23-year-old will need to reload his offensive arsenal and regain his hard-hitting swing in order to not only retain his starting job but also to make a strong late-season push which includes seven more head-to-head games with the second-place Giants. Pederson is still the same free-swinging star we fell in love with in April, and there’s no reason to believe that he can’t be a postseason star as well.
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Give me a break.why would they need his defence and bat to retain the division title. Like it hasn’t helped over the last 40 games and it is highly unlikely they will make the playoffs this year anyway.send him down. This is no place to learn how to hit.
Baseball Prospectus rates Blue as having an 80% chance to make the postseason. Given their issues it’s doubtful they will go deep.
While I hope that Joc can turn it around this season, the odds are against him. The major league hitting coaches have been working with him to no apparent good effect. Blue would have been better served to send him down in late July and have him work with his minor league hitting coach, Johnny Washington for awhile in Arizona. Hopefully he can remake his swing in the offseason and come back strong next year.