Amid all of the injuries, the Braves attempted to get the band back together in hopes of conjuring up some of the same magic that led them to the 2021 World Series.
Unfortunately, it was mostly unsuccessful. Adam Duvall, who was acquired just before the start of the season, hit .182 with 11 homers over 104 games — good for -1.4 WAR. Eddie Rosario was equally as dreadful after the Braves picked him up off waivers and was eventually released. About the only one that worked out, at least offensively, was Jorge Soler. He was acquired ahead of the trade deadline, but even still, his defense negated a lot of the good he provided the Braves with the stick.
As they say, lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place. 2021 should probably be left in the past; it certainly feels like a distant memory for most of Braves Country. However, there is one name that could pique the interest of Anthopoulos again this offseason.
Joc Pederson haș essentially been a hired gun since he helped the Braves to the World Series three years ago. He’s spent the last three seasons on one-year contracts with two different clubs and is now set to test free agency for the fourth time in five years, but it’s not because he hasn’t been productive.
Pederson was named an All-Star for the first time in his career back in 2022 with the Giants, and he’s coming off his best season with the Diamondbacks, recording 23 homers and a .908 OPS over 132 games. He’s a rare case of a player that’s actually gotten significantly better since turning 30.
For much of Pederson’s first seven years with the Dodgers, he was a three-outcome hitter. He hit home runs and walked a lot, but also struck out in 25% of his at-bats. The strikeouts haven’t gone away, but his batting average has risen by more than 30 points since leaving Los Angeles, and he’s getting on base at a significantly higher clip. Since 2022, Pederson is hitting .262 with an .850 OPS and a 137 OPS+ (37% above league average).
That’s the kind of player the Braves need to be looking to add to their outfield. Joc Pederson also shouldn’t require a long-term deal to acquire, and of course, Anthopoulos knows all too well what he brings to the table from a clubhouse perspective.
With that being said, there is one hurdle that could prevent the Braves from being interested. Pederson’s a left-handed bat that probably shouldn’t see the field much against left-handed pitching. So is Jarred Kelenic, who is under contract for several more years. Do the Braves view the Kelenic experiment as a failure, scrap it, and move on? Or do they still view him as a talented young player whose breakout campaign is around the corner?
If it’s the former, Joc Pederson should be a top target for the Braves in free agency. But if it’s the latter, the interest will likely be minimal.
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Photo: Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire
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