Joc Pederson almost joined the White Sox instead of Cubs

The White Sox watched a former free agent target sign crosstown on Friday.

The White Sox were active early on this offseason, adding the likes of Lance Lynn and Liam Hendriks to the rotation, and signing Adam Eaton for a South Side reunion of sorts, providing depth in the outfield in the process. Eaton was just one of the outfield options the White Sox were considering in early December, however.

Along with Eaton, Chicago made a contract offer to now-Cubs outfielder Joc Pederson. That offer was reportedly for one year, and $10 million.

Months later, the slow free agent market made an impression on Pederson, and it wasn’t a positive one. The power hitter signed on with the Cubs for less than the $10 million he would’ve received with the White Sox.

Pederson got $7 million from the Cubs, a solid team-friendly deal for the North Siders

While that $3 million won’t break the bank for Pederson (must be nice), the Cubs outlook in 2020 is far more grim than that of the White Sox, but that’s why we play the games. The White Sox finished 35-25 last season and made the playoffs, getting eliminated by the Oakland Athletics in three games. Still, their offseason additions suggest they’ll only improve over the course of a 162-game campaign.

The Cubs, meanwhile, added Pederson to gloss over the fact that they’re trying to trade the likes of Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras and Kyle Hendriks. All three are All-Star talents, and all three are not long for the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. The 2016 World Series core will not be together much longer, with a few of those familiar faces already on other teams in Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester and Yu Darvish.

Pederson will add a powerful bat against right-handed pitchers, but little else in terms of long-term hope for Cubs fans.