SURPRISE, Ariz. — The groundwork for Joc Pederson becoming a Texas Ranger was laid last September, when Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young sat with Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen. The two men were discussing the divergent paths taken by their teams. After meeting in the World Series the year before, the runner-up Diamondbacks had gotten better. The triumphant Rangers had gotten worse. Young was trying to figure out why.
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Part of the difference, Young recognized, was Arizona’s young players had improved while Texas’ group had stagnated. Hazen kept referencing the influence of Pederson, one of the eldest players on the roster, a part-time designated hitter with an
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