Joc Pederson is coming home.
The Palo Alto, Calif., native agreed to a contract with the San Francisco Giants, according to reports Wednesday afternoon.
Pederson, who won the World Series last year with Atlanta after being traded midseason, gives the Giants another left-handed bat who will compete for playing time in the outfield with LaMonte Wade Jr., Steven Duggar and Mike Yastrzemski, as well as right-handers Austin Slater and Darin Ruf. Expect Pederson to factor in at designated hitter, too.
Between 2015 and 2019, Pederson slugged 123 home runs for the Dodgers, his childhood team despite growing up in the suburbs of San Francisco. But once baseball resumed in 2020, Pederson seemingly lost the ability to hit. He batted .190 with seven home runs in the COVID-19-shortened season, then split 2021 between the Cubs and Braves, where he still struggled to regain his form.
The Giants were able to grab the 29-year-old graduate of Palo Alto High from the bargain bin while other top hitters signed elsewhere on Wednesday. Kris Bryant joined the Colorado Rockies on a reported seven-year, $182 million deal, while Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki reportedly settled on a five-year, $85 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, despite a strong push by San Francisco.
