Unlikely reunion with Palo Alto native may make sense for SF Giants

The SF Giants are in need of improvements to their offense. They may be in the market for a designated hitter and they could pursue an unlikely reunion with Palo Alto native and former Giant (and Dodger) Joc Pederson.

Left-handed hitter Michael Conforto seems likely to depart in free agency. He was used as a designated hitter for the Giants a lot in 2024, but he left some to be desired. In 2024 he hit .237/.309/.450 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 438 at-bats.

These are average numbers, but not incredible by any means.

SF Giants should consider reunion with Joc Pederson

There are no obvious or compelling candidates to be DH currently on the roster. You could make a case for Wilmer Flores, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Jerar Encarnacion, but none of them are great options to be DH.

That is why it may not be too crazy to bring back Pederson.

Pederson was on the Giants in 2022 and 2023 and had some success, mainly in 2022. He was an All-Star in 2022, hitting .274/.353/.521 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI. He had a significant drop off in 2023, hitting .235/.348/.416 with 15 homers and 51 RBI. He also made some unsavory headlines later in the year as his card-playing in the clubhouse was emblematic of the lethargic play of the Giants coming down the stretch in 2023.

He had a bounce-back year with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024. In 367 at-bats, Pederson hit .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs and 64 RBI. This was a return to his 2022 form. Of course, he did it in the more hitter-friendly confines of Chase Field but it shows he still has some solid play left in the tank. He did well enough that he declined his option and chose to test free agency.

Pederson is not a perfect fit by any means. His exit from San Francisco was less than ideal and he does not offer much of anything defensively. Signing him could very well end up being like the Jorge Soler deal last year which was clearly a mistake at the amount of money the Giants were giving him and resulted in the Giants trading him.

But if the Giants miss out on some of the higher end options in free agency, then Pederson could be a decent backup option if they get him on a short-term deal.