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Los Angeles Dodgers: Joc Pederson’s best fits outside of LA

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 22: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo homerun in front of Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals to take a 1-0 lead during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 22: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo homerun in front of Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals to take a 1-0 lead during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers
(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers /

2. St. Louis Cardinals

Would the Los Angeles Dodgers make a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that the Dodgers might see in the postseason in October and has been the team’s most notable playoff rival of the decade? Maybe, I would not put it past Andrew Friedman.

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If the Dodgers can get a return out of the Cardinals that would legitimately improve the team I don’t think it matters who the Dodgers are doing business with. The team traded Charlie Culberson to Atlanta and faced him in the playoffs, although nobody expected that.

The precedent for a Joc Pederson trade to St. Louis would also revolve around the idea of the Cardinals wanting to trade Marcell Ozuna. While there are not any reports surfacing that this is the case, it would be a Cardinals move to move on from Ozuna only a year after trading for him.

Ozuna is in the last year of his contract and is probably going to ask for a lot of money in free agency, something the Cardinals are not prone to doing. With that in mind, the team might simply cut the cord on Ozuna early and prepare for the next few years.

Pederson would be a good start for the Cardinals. Pederson has three years remaining on his contract and would serve as the team’s fifth hitter against right-handed pitching.

This would also open the door for Pederson to platoon in left field with young outfielder Tyler O’Neill. O’Neill was highly touted as a prospect and would benefit from a schedule that was not every day.

The Dodgers might need to send a mid-tier prospect alongside Pederson for Ozuna but would undoubtedly be improving the team. Ozuna is a career .300 hitter against southpaws and would still keep the door open for A.J. Pollock.

The Dodgers could run an outfield of Ozuna, Pollock and Verdugo with Cody Bellinger at first. That is a good outfield and the Dodgers would be getting the perfect right-handed bat to bat fifth in the order behind Cody Bellinger.

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