Los Angeles Dodgers: Why a Joc Pederson trade makes the most sense
By Jason Reed
1. Joc Pederson is far too inconsistent
This might seem like a reason why the Los Angeles Dodgers wouldn’t be able to trade Pederson as other teams would not want to take on an inconsistent bat. However, the overall numbers are there and Pederson could be a big middle-of-the-order bat for a team that needs a slugging lefty.
The problem with Pederson on the Dodgers is that he is far too inconsistent to rely on. When Pederson is swinging a hot bat he is one of the best hitters in the Major Leagues. Pederson during one of his hot streaks feels near-impossible to get out and will rope the ball around the yard.
The problem is that when he is not on a hot streak he is often ice cold. This is not a guy that will get you at least one knock every night. When he is cold it feels like he is unusable.
The cold streaks have happened less often recently which has led to better seasons but they still often more often than his hot streaks.
Throw in the fact that he is virtually unusable against left-handed pitching and the case makes hitself. Often times the Los Angeles Dodgers are making decisions to mask Pederson’s terrible split or cold streak, which as we have seen, can hurt the team.