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HOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 02: The Atlanta Braves celebrate their 7-0 victory against the Houston Astros in Game Six to win the 2021 World Series at Minute Maid Park on November 02, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
A beloved Atlanta Braves World Series champion from the 2021 season is now back on the market after he declined a mutual option to stay with the Texas Rangers.
Said Braves’ champion is DH slugger Joc Pederson, who was a crucial trade addition to the Atlanta Braves in 2021, the year Atlanta went on to win the Fall Classic.
MLBTR.com’s Anthony Franco wrote (about Pederson):
“Designated hitter Joc Pederson is back on the open market. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reports that Pederson has declined his end of an $18.5MM mutual option with the Rangers. He is now a free agent. As with all mutual option decisions, this is essentially a procedural move. It’s been more than a decade since any of these were exercised by both parties. They’re generally a way for the team to delay paying a portion of the guaranteed contract in the form of a buyout, which isn’t due until the end of the season. They’re essentially an unofficial deferral within the contract term.”
Pederson, 34, is in a good spot as a free agent considering he’s coming off a very successful 2026 campaign, so understandably, he wants to test the market in some capacity.
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Should the Braves Look Into Bringing Back Joc Pederson?
In 2026, Joc Pederson hit 26 home runs in 136 games and logged an OPS+ of 134.
That’s a well-above-average mark in MLB, and those stats will be enough to give Pederson plenty of options where he wants to sign his next deal.
The Rangers will likely make a run at bringing the DH slugger back, but the Braves could also use a primary DH, as Atlanta rolled out a varied combination of Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Dom Smith at DH in 2026.
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Taking a Quick Look at Joc Pederson’s Tenure with the Braves
The Braves traded for Joc Pederson during the 2021 season.
Across 64 regular-season games in a Braves uniform, Pederson clubbed seven home runs and eight doubles.
However, what makes him a beloved member of Braves Country is the several clutch moments he had in the 2021 MLB playoffs, which ultimately led to a Braves World Series title.
For his entire 13-year career thus far, Pederson has 244 career home runs and has been named an All-Star twice.
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TJ French covers the MLB for Heavy. TJ is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He has 2+ years of writing experience.
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