Dodgers fans will love ex-fan favorite's bold Astros trash talk after AL West arrival

Joc Pederson is no stranger to rivalry with the Astros. Despite an underwhelming 2017 regular season that led to him being demoted, he was added to the NLCS and World Series rosters after an injury to Corey Seager and proceeded to hit .333 with a 1.344 OPS during the World Series against Houston. The Dodgers infamously lost that year's Fall Classic in seven games, but he exacted solo revenge as a Brave in 2021, when Atlanta took the Astros down in six games to win a ring (Pederson's second).

As a player who never ventured outside of the National League, he didn't have many opportunities to make an impression against Houston in regular seasons. That'll change this year, when Pederson makes his first venture into the American League with the Rangers.

Texas had an underwhelming (to put it lightly) season after their 2023 World Series run, but they've made a few respectable moves this offseason — signing Pederson, trading for Jake Burger, and re-signing Nathan Eovaldi — in an attempt to catch up to the Astros, whose stranglehold on the AL West is certainly fading after their early exit from the postseason in 2024.

At his introductory press conference, Pederson said, "I've played the Astros a couple of times in the World Series. They've put together a nice little run, and it's coming to an end. It's time for us to take over the West."

Dodgers fan favorite Joc Pederson has fighting words for Astros after joining Rangers out of free agency

It's unlikely that any member of that 2017 Dodgers team will ever let go of their beef with the Astros, nor do they have any reason to, really. Seager has already turned himself into a thorn in their sides (he has a career .289 average and .862 OPS against them), and Pederson proved this past season that he can still provide a lineup with an All-Star caliber bat.

With the Astros floundering, even after signing former Pederson teammate Christian Walker, the Rangers and Mariners have as good a shot as anyone to try to take the division crown for themselves (the Athletics and Angels are, as ever, hopeless). There will be four inter-Texas matchups in 2025, or 13 games, and thanks to Pederson's 2026 player option, he may have double the opportunities to hit back at Houston for their stolen 2017 championship.

Once a Dodger, always a Dodger — at least when it comes to hating the Astros.