(670 The Score) The Cubs on Friday made their biggest splash of a quiet offseason.
Outfielder Joc Pederson has agreed to join the Cubs on a one-year, $7-million deal, according to reports. The deal is pending a physical. Earlier in the offseason, the White Sox extended a one-year offer worth $10 million-plus to Pederson, who turned it down, the Los Angeles Times reported. The White Sox then moved on and signed Adam Eaton to fill their void in right field.
Pederson comes to Chicago after spending his entire seven-year MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, whom he helped win a World Series this past season. Pederson hit .190 with seven homers, 16 RBIs and a .681 OPS in 43 games in the shortened season, and he went 4-for-10 with a homer and three RBIs in the World Series.
Pederson, 28, has long hit for low average but with plenty of power and a solid on-base percentage clip. He’s a career .230 hitter with a .336 on-base percentage and .806 OPS. He hit .249 with 36 homers, 74 RBIs and an .876 OPS in 149 games in 2019.
The Dodgers almost always used the lefty-swinging Pederson against right-handers in recent years, as he has drastic splits. For his career, Pederson has an .849 OPS against righties and a .576 OPS against lefties. He projects to be an everyday player for the Cubs, who non-tendered left fielder Kyle Schwarber in early December. Pederson is a solid defender, so he can play anywhere in the outfield. It's possible he could fill the center field role, which would shift Ian Happ to Schwarber's old spot in left field.