To Joc or not to Joc?
That is the question for the Dodgers, as they try to decide whether to offer a contract to a veteran corner outfielder who cannot hit left-handed pitching if the lives of a large village of children depended on it, but who also seems to have been born to hit majestic playoff home runs.
The Dodgers are probably too good to pay a player like Joc Pederson millions of dollars to come off the bench. Rookie Edwin Rios might supply the same kind of left-handed, light-tower power at a fraction of the cost. But the Dodgers also might be too good not to re-sign him. The team looks built to storm back into the postseason every year in the foreseeable future. And at this point, since nothing short of winning world championships will satisfy the fan base or the organization, doesn’t it make sense to employ players who play their best when it matters most?
In 748 career regular-season games, Pederson has posted an OPS of .806. In 64 career…
