Long-time Blue Jays target lands in AL West as Toronto swings and misses again

If the Toronto Blue Jays are really planning to add an impact bat this current offseason, they better do so before it’s too late. On Monday, another prime option has come off the board as the Texas Rangers have signed designated hitter/outfielder Joc Pederson to a two-year, $37 million contract.

Pederson is most known to the Jays and their faithful for his epic Home Run Derby battle with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. during the 2019 All-Star festivities. But that aside, the former two-time All-Star had also been a target of the Jays from quite some time now. However, Toronto apparently had failed to offer up enough to have Pederson pull the trigger already. With the power-hitting lefty known predominantly to mash right-handed pitching, he would have been an ideal fit in the Jays’ right-handed heavy lineup.

Long-time Blue Jays target lands in AL West as Toronto swings and misses again

Last season, Pederson compiled a solid .275 batting average, .908 OPS, along with 62 runs scored, 17 doubles, 23 home runs and 64 RBI in just 132 games played with the Arizona Diamondbacks. More importantly, he was a beast when it came to clutch hitting, as he batted a stellar .301 with a 1.051 OPS, seven home runs and 45 RBI with runners in scoring position in 2024. Pederson would have been the Jays’ best designated hitter since the departure of Brandon Belt a couple of years ago. In addition, he would have more than made up for the lost offensive production of Spencer Horwitz, who was recently dealt during the Jays’ acquisition of Andrés Giménez.

More importantly, despite having been primarily in a DH role this past season, Pederson is capable of still playing in the outfield if needed. In fact, he still had reps in the corner outfield positions during the 2023 MLB season. That would have given the Jays a layer of add flexibility as well when setting up their lineup for matchups. On top of that, Pederson’s breadth of experience, especially during the postseason with his two World Series rings, would have been invaluable to a Jays’ squad who had been still searching for an identity in being a successful contender.

Nevertheless, that possibility is now moot with Pederson joining one of the juggernauts of the AL West. With a handful of legitimate bats remaining in the free agent market, it is time for the Jays to stop swinging and missing, and seriously start connecting for any chance of winning this upcoming season.