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

3. Chicago White Sox

If I was forced to put money on where I thought Joc Pederson would play in 2019, assuming it is outside of Los Angeles, I would bet on it being in Chicago with the White Sox. The White Sox were the first team to emerge as an interested candidate for Pederson and should have every reason in the world to pursue him.

The White Sox are a young team with an absolutely stacked farm system that is also trying to win now. The American League Central is extremely weak and the team was in on both Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, although the focus has shifted heavily to Machado.

Although Harper going to the White Sox now seems extremely far fetched, the White Sox still need outfielders. However, with the team spending a lot of money on Machado, granted if they sign him, the front office likely is going to try and be smart about what they spend on for the outfield.

That is what makes Pederson perfect. He is under team control for another three seasons and is not going to make a ton of money through arbitration. He is no Bryce Harper but he brings a similar left-handed power-hitting presence.

As a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, I hope the front office does not just settle for prospects. I understand this team can win without Pederson but it would be nice to see some sort of addition to the big league club.

A potential candidate is Jose Abreu, who was connected to the Dodgers earlier in the offseason. Abreu is in the last year of his deal and is owed $16 million. It makes sense that the White Sox would want to free that up.

The Dodgers don’t seem inclined to spend but may do so on a one-year deal. Pederson and a mid-tier prospect might be enough for Abreu, which shifts Bellinger to the outfield with Pollock and Verdugo.

Abreu is a respectable right-handed hitting bat that has shown legitimate MVP potential. As a career .300 hitter, Abreu would be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Los Angeles Dodgers.