Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson officially joined the Texas Rangers on Monday after finalizing a two-year, $37 million contract and completing his physical.
The move makes Pederson a key addition to the American League West and an immediate rival to the Houston Astros — a team whose actions during the 2017 World Series still don’t sit well with him.
At his introductory press conference, Pederson didn’t hold back.
“They put together a nice little run, and it’s coming to an end,” Pederson said of the now division rival Astros. “And it’s time for us to take over the [AL] West. There’s lots of things that are going in the right direction for the Rangers to be on top of this division.”
Pederson, a two-time All-Star, began his MLB journey with the Dodgers, where he spent his first seven seasons and helped the team win the 2020 World Series.
Globe Life Field, the Rangers’ home ballpark, is a familiar setting for Pederson, who hit .394 with three homers and eight runs batted in during the Dodgers’ playoff run there in 2020, which included the National League Division Series, NL Championship Series, and World Series.
Since leaving Los Angeles after the shortened 2020 season, Pederson has played for five teams.
He joined the Chicago Cubs in 2021, was traded to Atlanta midseason, and spent 2022 and 2023 with the San Francisco Giants before signing a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024. This past season, he hit .275 with 23 home runs and 64 RBIs across 132 games.
Over his career, Pederson has a .241 batting average, 209 home runs, and 549 RBIs in 1,272 games. His best season came in 2019 with the Dodgers, when he hit 36 home runs and drove in 74 runs.
Drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft out of Palo Alto High School in California, Pederson made his MLB debut on Sept. 1, 2014.
At 33 years old this April, he now aims to help the Rangers claim the AL West crown.