The Los Angeles Dodgers going to an arbitration hearing with Joc Pederson on Thursday was noteworthy in itself, but even more so when considering the circumstances surrounding it.
Earlier in the week the Dodgers were said to have reached an agreement to acquire Mookie Betts and David Price as part of a three-team trade with the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. Shortly after, the Dodgers and L.A. Angels reportedly came to terms on a separate trade — one that involved Pederson.
That deal was secondary — in essence contingent — on the Dodgers first finalizing their trade for Betts and Price. It’s yet to reach that point because of the Red Sox seeking additional compensation.
With both trades seemingly part of a fluid situation, Pederson and his representatives attempted to delay the arbitration hearing, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
With an agreement reportedly in place for Pederson to be traded from the Dodgers to the Angels, the players’ union and the outfielder’s agents at Excel Sports Management filed a motion for the hearing to be delayed, contending that Pederson effectively was in limbo, a man without a team.
Major League Baseball already had rejected the union’s request. The three-person arbitration panel did the same.
While Pederson’s camp attempted to use the uncertainty of a trade as reason to delay the hearing, MLB and the arbitration panel considered that as reason to move forward:
MLB’s position on Pederson, backed by the arbitration panel, was that the hearing could proceed because the player had not yet been traded officially, and might never be. The league also was confident that the Dodgers would win their case against Pederson, and perhaps feared establishing a precedent for delays would embolden other players to seek ways out of hearings in the future.
On top of denying Pederson’s request, the panel ruled in favor of the Dodgers, who countered his filing for a $9.5 million salary with $7.75 million. The arbitration hearing was the organization’s first since defeating Joe Beimel in 2007.
While the Dodgers went to a hearing with Pederson, they avoided doing so with Max Muncy and Chris Taylor by agreeing to respective three-year and two-year contract extensions. Pedro Baez remains the Dodgers’ lone arbitration-eligible player without a resolution.
With his contractual matter now settled, the potential trade takes focus for Pederson. He may still very well be traded to the Angels but possibly under a reworked deal. The original framework had him going to Anaheim — along with Ross Stripling and Andy Pages — in exchange for Luis Rengifo and one or two Minor League players.
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