Rangers Offseason Acquisition Named Major Bust After Dreadful Start

To this point, the Texas Rangers have not lived up to the high expectations set upon them entering 2025. It has not all been bad, but it also has not all been good, and the team still has a long way to go to reach their full potential.

The Rangers are 26-29 after Monday's loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, but are still within striking distance of the top of the American League West, which is currently lead by the Seattle Mariners.

The pitching staff, most notably the starting rotation, has been a clear strength for the team to this point in 2025, while the offense has failed to live up to the hype. One member of that unit, a big-time offseason acquisition, has been a key contributor to those struggles.

Joc Pederson Named Major Bust for Texas Rangers

Texas and Joc Pederson agreed on a two-year, $37 million contract over the winter. The slugger was coming off a career-best year in 2024, that saw him bat .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs, 64 RBI and a 151 OPS+ across 449 plate appearances in 132 games. This year, however, it has been a preicpitous decline.

A recent article from Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report ranked this year's offseason acquisitions, specifically those that have been busts, with Pederson's deal placing fourth.

"Out of nowhere," writes Miller, "[Pederson] has gone from one of the best to darn near the worst. Entering play on Saturday, Pederson's .485 OPS against righties ranked 192nd out of 193 qualified hitters, ahead of only Luis Robert Jr. (.469)."

Mashing righties was Pederson's claim to fame ahead of 2025, now, he isn't mashing at all. The veteran holds a .131/.269/.238 line with just two home runs, six RBI and a 49 OPS+ across 146 plate appearances in 46 games. That line will not get any better any time soon, either, as Pederson recently hit the injured list with a right hand fracture. He is expected to miss at least six weeks due to the injury.

The veteran has certainly been a big reason for the offense not living up to expectations, and to this point in his Texas tenure, he can only be looked at as a major bust.