9 outfielders the Blue Jays should target at the trade deadline

Joc Pederson, San Francisco Giants

Finally, there’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 2019 Home Run Derby nemesis Joc Pederson to consider. If one could recall, Pederson was the one that endured in the epic semifinal battle with Guerrero in the Home Run Derby, matching him home run for home run and pushing him right to the limit with three swingoffs, until finally Guerrero prevailed. In doing so, Guerrero became too exhausted to have any fight left in him and ultimately lost out in the finals to Pete Alonso for the title.

Pederson is definitely the definition of a “power bat”, averaging close to 20-25 home runs and 65 RBI per season in his career. For 2023, he has hit .243 with an OPS of .802, with 33 runs scored, eight home runs and 30 RBI. Similar to Duvall, Pederson was also acquired by the Braves for their 2021 postseason run in which Pederson played a huge role in their success in the playoffs as well. So if the Jays miss out on Duvall, and the San Francisco Giants fall further down beyond playoff contention, Pederson would certainly be a wonderful backup plan to fall back on.

Each of these outfield trade targets have their pros and cons, but it is to the Jays’ best interest to at least explore these players as a potential solution to their offensive woes at times this year and help bolster their lineup for the long and treacherous playoff run in the coming two months.