The Blue Jays haven’t experienced the best luck signing pure designated hitters these last few seasons (aside from Brandon Belt in 2023). The Justin Turner $13 million experiment didn’t pan out last year, and the Kendrys Morales $33 million deal crashed and burned back in 2018.

The Blue Jays have used the DH spot to rotate their position players, or most of their DH signings haven’t panned out. While it’s great to have that slot open for some flexibility to give your players a breather, sometimes you just need a damn DH.

Enter Joc Pederson. After a good 2024 season with the Diamondbacks, he’s one of the most underrated free agents on the market this winter. His splits are well-documented, but even a one-sided player like Pederson excels when he’s deployed properly.

Let’s look at what the 32-year-old could offer a team like the Blue Jays still searching for power, regardless of whether it’s a left-handed or right-handed hitter to complement Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Some folks are still getting acclimated to full-time DH’s in the National League, but Pederson was one of the best in the Senior Circuit in 2024. Not quite in the tier of Shohei Ohtani or Kyle Schwarber, but Pederson can hold his own at the plate.

Because he only played in 132 games, Pederson didn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify, but for batters with 400 PA’s, his 151 wRC+ would’ve landed him 10th overall in MLB in 2024. And when it comes to righty-mashers, Pederson is one of the top 15 bats in the game.

He posted a .281/.392/.531 slash line against right-handers with a 154 wRC+. Let’s not talk about his splits against left-handers (he had 2 extra-base hits in 42 plate appearances total, so that should tell you everything you need to know).

He’s a far cry from his career-high 36 home runs during his 2019 campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Diamondbacks deployed Pederson perfectly to maximize his lopsided splits last season.

Pederson signed a one-year contract for $12.5 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks back in January. The Dbacks tacked a mutual option for a second year onto the deal, but he recently declined the option, making him a free agent.

Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Blue Jays were open to bringing Pederson aboard. Buster Olney of ESPN said the Blue Jays “went hard” for Pederson before he signed with the Diamondbacks. Back in July, Pederson told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet about the Blue Jays’ pursuit of him: “I guess [they] didn’t want me as bad as some other teams.”

BNS also noted the Blue Jays signed Turner the day after Pederson inked his deal with the Diamondbacks, so the timing suggests Pederson was Toronto’s Plan A and Turner was their Plan B.

As a standalone offensive acquisition (similar to how the Jays signed Turner as their “big bat” last year), no. But with the right pieces around him, Pederson would be an effective hitter for a team like Toronto that has struggled to secure power hitters the last few seasons.

Because of his severe platoon splits, Pederson would never see an at-bat against a left-hander, but the Blue Jays faced right-handed starting pitchers over three times as often as a lefty, so it wouldn’t be a waste of a roster spot to bring Pederson aboard.

One interesting configuration might be to compliment Pederson’s bat with someone like Tyler O’Neill, whose splits lean heavier against left-handers. Pederson spent the entire 2024 season as a designated hitter, but he could man the outfield on a day when the Blue Jays might prefer to keep O’Neill on the bench (if they opt to sign both players). Having another lefty bat like Pederson in the lineup would be a nice complement to offset Daulton Varsho and would help restore some of that left-handed power for the Blue Jays not seen since Belt two years ago.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted Pederson will land a 2-year deal worth $24 million total. After he declined his option year with the Dbacks, it seems like it will be a multi-year deal or bust for Pederson in free agency.

At this point in his career, Pederson occupies a platoon role, but his .281/.392/.531 slash line against righties and his 154 wRC+ versus right-handers is tantalizing for a team like the Blue Jays. Maybe the second time will be the charm this offseason for making Pederson a Blue Jay.