Rangers Must Hope Joc Pederson Rebounds After Exercising Option

There was little chance the Texas Rangers were going to catch a break when it came to designated hitter Joc Pederson and his contract.

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that Pederson triggered the 2026 option on the two-year contract he signed last offseason. The two-year, $37 million deal came with a player option that will pay Pederson $18.5 million. After the worst season of his career, there was little chance the 33-year-old was going to test free agency.

Texas may have been hoping he would do them a solid and opt out, which would have given the Rangers a chance to void the opt-out by triggering their option, which was for two more years and $39 million. Given the Rangers’ desire to trim payroll, that was unlikely to happen.

But now Texas is pinning part of its hopes for an offensive resurgence on the bounce-back of the left-handed slugger.

Can Joc Pederson Bounce Back in 2026?