When the Texas Rangers signed Joc Pederson to a $37 million contract on Monday, it ended at least one team’s pursuit of a left-handed power bat.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Mets were “in” on Pederson, who’s averaged 22 home runs a year in nine non-pandemic seasons since 2015.
Mets showed interest in Joc Pederson before he went to the Rangers @Ken_Rosenthal 1st on Texas deal
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 23, 2024
But the Mets aren’t alone in their search of a left-handed hitter.
The Houston Astros shook up the trade landscape last week by sending Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for three players — infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith. That left their lineup quite right-handed heavy, with only Yordan Alvarez lurking as a power threat from the left side.
Alvarez is primarily a designated hitter. So is Pederson, which perhaps makes him a poor match with Houston in free agency.
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But Astros general manager Dana Brown confirmed on a call with reporters Monday that he could still pursue a left-handed hitting outfielder who can fill some of Tucker’s production.
Via Matthew Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle:
Brown, meanwhile, said Monday the Astros are “not done” shaping their roster this offseason. Houston’s projected 2025 payroll entering sat less than $5 million under the first competitive balance tax threshold, per Cot’s Contracts, inviting the question of how much room they have left for additions — barring moves that create more space, such as trades.
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Kawahara notes it’s unclear if Astros owner Jim Crane is open to paying a competitive balance tax on the Astros’ payroll for a second consecutive season, while Brown said he does not think the Astros have “any restrictions.”
Tucker, 27, averaged 30 home runs and 104 RBIs a season from 2021-23 before injuries limited him to 78 games in 2024. The Cubs bet big on a bounceback year from Tucker a year before he’s eligible for free agency, while the Astros were hedging against being unable to sign him to a contract extension before Tucker reached free agency.
So, who might the Mets and Astros target in their pursuit of a left-handed bat?
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Alex Verdugo and David Peralta are among the top names still on the free agent market. The San Francisco Giants’ LaMonte Wade Jr. was recently mentioned by ESPN’s Jeff Passan as being available on the free agent market.
Verdugo and Peralta are corner outfielders, while Wade has experience at all three outfield positions as well as first base.
Pete Alonso, while not a left-handed hitter, would fit the Mets’ need for a first baseman and keep a homegrown fan favorite in Queens, but The Athletic reported Monday that talks have “not picked up steam” between the two sides of late.
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