August 2nd, 2019 at 8:30 am 
by Ron Cervenka Much to the satisfaction of Dodger fans everywhere, the ‘Joc Pederson at first base experiment‘ is officially over.
Maybe.
“For now, yeah,” answered Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, when asked if the 27-year-old Palo Alto, CA native and Dodgers 2010 third-round draft pick out of Palo Alto High School, would no longer play first base. “I think the benefit that we have now is we’ve seen it, we’ve given him an opportunity and this is something that Joc was asking for. For us to oblige and give him that runway, give him that opportunity to see how it looks. He’s worked his tail off to get better at first base. So I really applaud him.”
For Dodger fans, it is Roberts – and perhaps even more so, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman – who deserve the applause … finally.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
In the 20 games in which Pederson has played at first for the Dodgers, he was officially charged with six errors. However, there were a significant number of other defensive plays that he should have made but didn’t, including several that resulted in throwing errors for the rest of the Dodgers infield.
It is difficult – if not impossible – to ignore the fact that the defensive slump the Dodgers have been in for the past month happens to coincide with Pederson’s time at first base. Heading into Thursday night’s contest with the San Diego Padres at Dodgers Stadium, the team had committed a combined 24 errors in their previous 17 games; four by Pederson.
But wait … it gets better.
Although the Doggers recently acquire super-utility player Tyler White, who has logged 170 major league games at first base, Roberts indicated – again, much to the satisfaction of Dodger fans everywhere – that All-Star right fielder and 2019 NL MVP front-runner Cody Bellinger will begin to see more playing time at his natural first base position.
“We talked to Cody. He’s done a great job keeping his shoulder healthy and keeping it strong,” Roberts said. “It was great to give Joc a runway at first. Could it happen again this season? Possibly. But to get Cody over there which he feels very good about and certain times get him back in right field against left-handed pitching if we want to get Muncy at first base, to move Joc back to left field – that’s a decision we’ve made going forward.”
Bellinger has made only one start at first base since injuring his left shoulder during a diving play at that position on May 3 against these same Padres at Petco Park in San Diego. Bellinger said that his shoulder popped out of its socket (which he said has happened before), causing concern for Roberts that it might happen again, and more likely to do so while playing first base than the outfield.
That being said, the 24-year-old Scottsdale, AZ native and Dodgers’ fourth-round draft pick in 2013 out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, AZ was observed working out at first base prior to Thursday’s game against the Padres. However, White played the entire game there.
…without committing an error.
Play Ball!
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Fielding the best defensive unit will be essential! The team is following their stated MO of developing players; so far this season the farm is bearing an abundance. Garlick, Beauty, Verdugo and Smith have been great for the position side. Hopefully Dustin “Gingergaard” and Tony “Goose” step up to help the bullpen. I’m a little surprised by the trade deadline, but NOT disappointed. This team has a great chance of getting to the world series and winning it, as well as a still very strong pipeline of homegrown talent. I’ll still be a Dodger fan next year, and every year afterwards if they don’t win it all this season.
I think it was a good idea to try Joc out at first base. I think the more experience he has there the better he’ll become. As for now I’m happy to see Cody back there, hoping he will not reinjure himself again.
I think the time to experiment is spring training. The Dodgers used players like Cody Ashe and Chris Parmelee at first base during spring training when neither player had a snowball’s chance in hades of making the roster, and only a slightly better chance of playing at AAA, or AA. Pederson could have been playing there instead, as well as in “B” games on the back diamonds, and the Dodgers would have known that he is strictly a left fielder.
Spot on, SoCal. That (ST) is or was the time to try Joc at 1st if need be. At first I was for keeping Bellinger at first but he’s been stellar as A RF AND HAS A GREAT ARM THERE TOO. WSS if Bellinger can remain injury free being back at 1st noow.
Trying out Joc at first base was done for one reason and one reason only, OBF – to keep his, Max Muncy’s and A.J. Pollock’s bat in the Dodgers (almost) everyday line-up.
It once again showed that ages-old – and 100% incorrect – belief that “anyone can play first base.” History has repeatedly shown us that the best teams (i.e., World Series champion teams) have a designated – and usually very good – first baseman.
Moving Belly back to 1B could very well be the difference in getting to the World Series and winning the World Series.
Still scratching my head as to why the hell they didn’t bother dealing Pederson at the deadline, THEY DON’T NEED HIM ANYMORE!!! I’m already looking forward to Lux and Peters at this point and with the way they’ve been performing for AAA OKC so far, won’t be long until they finally get their names called this season.
With only 1 more season before free agency, and limited to only platooning in LF, Joc’s value may be very low.
My guess is that this coming off season that Joc will be shopped
No doubt in my mind that he will be traded.
No way we should move Belli back to first. He leads Mlb in defensive runs saved in right field, and his arm is way too good to waste at first. We have competent first basemen in Muncy, Freese, Beaty and White. Pederson is just not that good. He needs to be on the bench, then trades in the off season.
Joc experiment came at a time when the Dodgers were 15 plus games ahead. It is over. Joc’s potiental is still there. Like he did at triple A. Would not want another Jim Gentile!
This team is so bitchn! Like cards when a kid. They lose a third WW? They will really be remembered. This team has a chance to be in 4 or 5 more WW’s.
Ten walk offs in their last 21 home games! Dang on!!!