There’s no denying the talent Yasiel Puig possesses, however consistently harnessing it for on-field production has at times been a hurdle. The Los Angeles Dodgers seemingly reached their boiling point last year and demoted the enigmatic outfielder to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
That came after failed attempts to move Puig prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. It wasn’t the first time Puig had been connected to trade rumors, as his name often surfaced in reports prior to the 2016 season.
Puig went into this season hoping to reestablish himself as the team’s everyday right fielder and get back to his rookie or 2014 All-Star campaign form.
The 26-year-old has largely managed to do so, but the Dodgers would still be willing to trade Puig, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:
“Puig is on pace for 30 homers, he’s playing Gold-Glove defense in right field, and the Dodgers are on track for 106 wins. So it’s difficult to make the case Puig is hurting the team. Quite the contrary, he’s helping the team. Now, would the Dodgers trade him? Absolutely they would, if they could get full value. They’re not going to accept 50 cents on the dollar.”
Puig, who was not in the lineup Sunday because of a hamstring issue he’s battled for multiple games, began the day hitting .248/.330/.459 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs. He’s just five homers shy of matching a career-best total, set as a rookie in 2013.
Puig leads the Dodgers with nine stolen bases, which is just two off a career-best mark that was reached in both 2013 and 2014.
To his credit, Puig has limited the number of off-field distractions this season and largely been an improved presence in the clubhouse when compared to previous years.
While the Dodgers may be open to trading the polarizing talent, doing so may ultimately prove too difficult considering the impact Puig can make at the plate and perhaps more importantly, defensively.
