Los Angeles Dodgers: Joc Pederson is the most likely to be traded

The Los Angeles Dodgers front office is likely going to shift some pieces after falling short in the World Series yet again and it could be Joc Pederson paying the price.

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell short of the team’s ultimate goal yet again in 2018 and were unable to break the 30-year World Series curse that has plagued the city of Los Angeles.

Just like the team did from last year to this year, there will undoubtedly be moves made to shore up some of the areas of need. Whether internally or externally, the 2018 Dodgers will be different than the 2019 Dodgers.

Just look at the two teams in comparison; the 2017 version of the Dodgers did not have Manny Machado, Matt Kemp, Max Muncy, Walker Buehler, Ryan Madson (ugh), Scott Alexander or David Freese.

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Granted some of those moves were internal moves and some came halfway through the season. Still, the Dodgers made a rather minor move for Alexander during the offseason and took on Kemp’s contract.

This winter the Dodgers will make some sort of move, whether it be massive or relatively small. The big free agent pieces, Bryce Harper and Machado, also make things interesting and could prolong trade talks as the market is established.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers do eventually pull the trigger on a trade, chances are that it will be including slugging left-handed outfielder Joc Pederson.

Pederson is a great part of this Dodgers team I personally am a huge Pederson fan and would not want to see him go. However, with the current state of the team, chances are that if anyone is dealt, it will be him.

The biggest reason for this is the impending future of the Dodgers outfield. There is a very good possibility that Bryce Harper could land in Los Angeles. Even if Harper does not come to LA, the Dodgers have a very good left-handed hitting outfielder in Alex Verdugo that is waiting.

Verdugo is the Dodgers’ top prospect and will be an everyday player. He has a great bat with gap-to-gap power and enough pop in his swing to slug 10-15 home runs in a season. He has speed, is a better fielder than Pederson and has an elite arm. He is a textbook big league center fielder.

Even without Harper, Verdugo can take over as the Dodgers’ left-handed hitting outfielder in place of Pederson. While Pederson’s power is valuable, the World Series should have served as an eye-opener that the Dodgers need more contact hitters in the lineup.

And that is the thing: Pederson’s power is valuable. This is a day in age in the MLB that is in love with the long ball. Pederson should enough progress in his swing to reduce his strikeout totals and increase his contact rate to make him a valuable trade chip.

Pederson’s 19.2 percent strikeout rate was the lowest of his career. There were only five outfielders with 25 or more home runs and a strikeout rate of less than 20 percent; Joc Pederson, Stephen Piscotty, Aaron Hicks, Charlie Blackmon and Mookie Betts (per FanGraphs).

Pederson is still young. He will turn 27 in April and is under team control for two more seasons. He is the perfect established big league talent to be thrown into a deal for a bigger player. Our proposed Dee Gordon deal is a personal favorite of mine or the Dodgers could even use Pederson in a deal for elite catcher J.T. Realmuto.

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Either way, chances are that with Verdugo looming and Pederson’s trade value at an all-time high, the Los Angeles Dodgers will cash out and part ways with Joc Pop.

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