Los Angeles Dodgers: Could Joc Pederson become a winter trade target?

With rosters expanding today, the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to call up number two prospect Alex Verdugo to roam an already crowded outfield, leaving Joc Pederson down in Triple-A for the time being.

The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t messing around. With such a huge lead to work with, even in the midst of a five-game losing streak, their 91 wins is already enough to effectively wrap up a playoff spot, if not the NL West. With that lead, the Dodgers can afford to give some players, like Alex Verdugo, some big-league playing time to see if they can get a spark heading into the postseason. Cody Bellinger provided that spark early, and other players like Rafael Devers in Boston and Aaron Judge in New York have been driving forces to their team’s success.

That could be the way that Verdugo is used moving forward, but with a veteran outfield consisting of Curtis Granderson, Chris Taylor and Yasiel Puig, along with Bellinger and Enrique Hernandez as other options, this will be a tough lineup to crack for the rookie. The 21-year-old has hit .314 with a .389 OBP with Oklahoma City this season, slugging six homers and driving in 62. Quite possibly his best attribute has been that he has a great eye at the plate, walking 52 times while collecting just 50 strikeouts.

Verdugo has spent much of his time this season in center, and regardless of whether or not he sticks there with Los Angeles long-term, the question is going to become: What do the Dodgers do with Joc Pederson moving forward?

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All of Pederson’s time on the field this season has come in center (~615 innings), and between a couple of stints on the disabled list and being optioned to the minors after the Dodgers added Granderson, he has only played in 87 games. His defensive abilities have not fared well according to FanGraphs, who have him at a -12 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved), a -12.6 UZR/150 and as just a half-win player this season.

Offensively, he’s been a tick above average with a 101 wRC+, and while his batting average sits at just .215, his OBP this season has been a little above league average at .329. His strikeouts, which have been a concern in the past, have dropped again this season, currently sitting at 21%, again right around league average. He hits the ball on the ground a little too much for someone with his power potential, leading to a BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) of .240 because of his ok speed.

While Curtis Granderson and Andre Ethier are set to hit free agency following this season, the Dodgers still have plenty of outfield depth. Andrew Toles and Trayce Thompson will be other options to consider in the outfield on top of the array of outfielders already on their roster.

Pederson could become the odd man out this winter.

Plenty of teams would likely have interest in seeing what the Dodgers would want for him, given that nearly half of all teams are getting below league average production at the plate from their center fielders, and if a team is already set in center, Pederson would likely be an upgrade at one of the corners.

The Giants and A’s would be two interesting teams to keep an eye on if Pederson’s name begins getting floated. Both teams are getting well below average production from their center fielders this season, and with Pederson’s upside and the likelihood of him not breaking the prospect piggy bank not terribly high, he could be an affordable add with a high ceiling for either club.

The Giants would want him because they need a power bat in their lineup. Whether Joc’s eleven home runs would translate into much more for San Francisco is debatable, but taking a chance on him rather than attempting to trade the entire farm system for Giancarlo Stanton seems more reasonable. Then again, the Dodgers and Giants aren’t terribly fond of one another, so coming to an agreement could be tricky.

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The A’s on the other hand have been acquiring outfielders quite a bit over the last month. They added Dustin Fowler in the Sonny Gray deal and Boog Powell in the Yonder Alonso trade, giving them some new options, on top of utility-man Chad Pinder, left field incumbent Khris Davis, and a few others. Adding Pederson would be another buy-low move that Billy Beane and the A’s love to make, and the two front offices have a bit of history together. While Fowler is thought to be the center fielder of the future, his injury could sap of the athleticism that has made him special, and adding Pederson would guard against that.

With Pederson’s place in the franchise now in question, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Dodgers attempted to move him this offseason. He is set to hit arbitration this winter and has three more years of team control, through 2020, making him a nice fit for contending clubs and rebuilding clubs alike.