Dodgers: Five Early Season Overreactions

Joc Pederson Should be Traded for a Right-Handed Bat

Again, playing back the left-handed pitching narrative. There have been rumors about the Dodgers potentially talking about a trade for Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun. Whether Braun is the answer to the Dodgers left-handed crisis was addressed in this article last week. But trading Pederson is not a solution.
The biggest issue with Pederson is that he’s not an everyday player. Roberts continues to sit him against left-handers, thus minimizing his upside as a young player. On the contrary to Roberts’ methods, Pederson has been one of the few productive left-handed bats against left-handed pitching. In a limited sample size, Pederson is hitting .429. Granted, it is a limited sample size, only 7 at-bats.
Pederson may not be the savior the Dodgers need against lefties, but that doesn’t mean the Dodgers should move on from him. He provides plenty of power upside, and his defense is above average in center field. I’m not saying the team should not continue to look for options to help their left-handed hitting crisis, but Pederson should not be in those talks.