Is this what having a designated hitter is like?
- Rating: 8.42
- 2024 Stats: 132 G, .275/.393/.515, 151 OPS+, 2.9 bWAR
- Date of Birth: 4/21/1992
- 2024 Earnings: $9.5 Million
- 2025 Status: Off to the Rangers
Going into the 2024 season, Mike Hazen had a novel idea: Have a hitter to take the place of the pitcher in the lineup. Now you might be thinking, ISH, this isn’t novel. The Designated Hitter rule has been in place in the American League for decades, and the National League gave in two seasons prior. Well, yes, that’s true, but Mike Hazen and the Diamondbacks had never actually tried it. They had used it as a way to get other players half days off, and they never took full advantage of the rule.
Much to their detriment, to say the least. In 2023, that strategy resulted in the position having a 79 OPS+ in 2023. In a year where they famously fell just a little bit short of the goal, this stood out as an easy area to make an improvement, so when word came out that Hazen was in fact trying to do that, there was much rejoicing. However, in true Hazen fashion, it was not the straight forward way one could have gone about it. The route ended up being a platoon of the position, with two, part-time, DHs, starting with Joc Pederson.
The general impression of signing Joc Pederson to DH for the Diamondbacks can at best be described as ‘meh.’ This writer went on record of saying, “Well, not thrilled, but at least we have our answer.” I and many others weren’t thrilled, because just before the news of the signing broke, the team had been connected to Jorge Soler and many were holding out hope that the team would bring back fan-favorite trade deadline acquisition J. D. Martinez, so bringing on a generally unliked former Dodger coming off a down year wasn’t the preferred choice. However, once Hazen added in the signing of Randall Grichuk the plan did become clearer. Grichuk would face lefties, and Pederson would face righties. It would negate some of the weaknesses that some saw in Pederson, and in fact turn them into a strength through Grichuk.
And it worked. Pederson got off to a strong start in April, hitting .288 for the month, even if it was a pretty empty number, with only two home runs and five RBI. That of course is at least partially a reflection of those in front of him not getting on base, as there were fairly significant issues offensively all around that month. Flipped the calendar and a switch going into May, and went .324 for the month with fifteen RBI and five home run. Which is how it would basically go for most of the season, alternating between great months and average months.
Unfortunately like most of the team, his final cold streak of the season was in September, and it was the coldest, with a month long batting average of just .225, with four RBI and two home runs. It was players limping like this that lead to the team’s unfortunate timing of their season’s end, and he was just one further example.
After the World Series, he declined his half of the option and became a free agent. At the time of the signing, it was unclear if that would trigger the $3 million buy out, and nothing I see online today makes it any clearer, so his final paycheck for the year could have been closer to $12.5 million rather than $9.5 million. In the end, though, both he and the Diamondbacks decided to go different directions. The addition of Josh Naylor made it seem unlikely the Dbacks would need Pederson’s services, and then shortly after, he signed a two year deal with the Rangers.
It was a short time he spent with the Diamondbacks, but I believe that it is undeniable that he leaves the fandom with a much more positive view of him as a player than when he came to the team.