During the weeks leading up to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline the Los Angeles Dodgers were linked to multiple right fielders. At the time, it was unclear what that meant for Yasiel Puig.
That was answered when a report surfaced the Dodgers informed Puig their intention was to trade him prior to the deadline, but if they were unsuccessful, he would be sent to the Minors. The latter was the course of action the Dodgers took after acquiring Josh Reddick as part of a trade with the Oakland Athletics.
The demotion marked the first of Puig’s career, and his joining Oklahoma City was the first time he’d play at the Triple-A level.
The Dodgers’ decision was said to be tied to off-the-field and behavioral matters, not on-field production. Puig had improved at the plate since coming off the disabled list in June.
As for his future with the club, some believe Puig has played his final game for the Dodgers. However, according to
Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, while the club has explored trading the dynamic outfielder, they’ve also rejected offers:
The Los Angeles Dodgers have gauged interest in Yasiel Puig, but executives with interested teams say the Dodgers don’t appear desperate to trade Puig, and in fact have rebuffed offers.
It was recently reported the Dodgers were attempting to ‘give away’ Puig, which came across as odd considering he’s doing well with Oklahoma City, and selling low goes against how the front office has operated.
Two general managers shared their thoughts on the matter:
Competing teams, hoping to get a bargain on Puig, have been disappointed. One rival GM said, “They don’t seem ready to trade him.” Another says, “This guy has a lot of talent. They can’t just give him away now.”
In order for Puig to be traded at this stage in the season he would first need to be placed on waivers. That would then trigger a process where clubs have the option of putting in a claim, with priority based on a team’s record.
It’s believed the Atlanta Braves may have interest in claiming Puig if he’s put on waivers. Puig is batting .396/.448/.698 with two doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI over 14 games with Oklahoma City.
While some expect him to return to the Majors once active rosters expand on Sept. 1, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t commit to as much when recently asked about that possibility.
