After a resurgent 2017 campaign that saw Yasiel Puig become an integral component to the Los Angeles Dodgers reaching their first World Series in 29 years, expectations were high for the dynamic right fielder heading into this season.
But after being lauded as more mature on and off the field, Puig was abruptly cut loose by the Wasserman Sports agency in February. It was an odd development considering Puig’s turnaround and that he isn’t far from reaching free agency.
Wasserman’s decision was purportedly tied to behavioral matters. Puig declined to elaborate on the parties going their separate ways, and maintained finding a new agent was not a top priority heading into the season.
After a couple months of not having representation, he has now joined the Beverly Hills Sports Council, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball:
Yasiel Puig, the mercurial Los Angeles Dodgers star who was unceremoniously and shockingly dumped by his longtime agency just before spring training, has hired Beverly Hills Sports Council and Cesar Suarez of that agency to represent him.
Puig is in the final year of a seven-year, $42 million contract he signed with the Dodgers after defecting from Cuba. He’ll become a free agent in the winter of 2019, when he’ll turn 29 years old.
A bounce-back 2017 season saw him hit .263/.346/.487 with a career-high 28 home runs and 74 RBIs while also playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in right field.
Thus far in 2018, Puig is batting .222/.283/.296 with four doubles and four home runs, though is hardly alone on a team that’s struggled out of the gate.
