With Yasiel Puig mired in another disappointing season, it’s reported the Los Angeles Dodgers may look to move the young outfielder ahead of the August 1 MLB trade deadline.
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Dodgers Weighing Puig’s Future in Los Angeles
Monday, July 11
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal noted Saturday that the Dodgers could be open to moving the 25-year-old before Aug. 1.
Puig has failed to capture the magic of his 2013 rookie season, during which he finished with a slash line of .319/.391/.534 while mashing 19 home runs and 42 RBI in 104 games. After making the All-Star Game and leading all Dodgers offensive players in WAR (5.3) in 2014, per FanGraphs, Puig started to tail off in 2015.
He appeared in only 79 games last year, batting .255 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI. Through the first half of 2016, Puig’s regression has continued. In 266 plate appearances, he has seven homers, 28 RBI and a .258/.316/.389 slash line.
Puig is still capable of creating moments of magic, such as his impressive throw from right field to nail Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story at third base in April:
However, those highlight-reel plays have become fewer and farther between over the course of his four-year career.
On June 28, the Los Angeles Times‘ Andy McCullough reported MLB executives with whom he has spoken don’t envision Puig ever topping his first year or possibly even his sophomore campaign, which limits his potential trade value.
Puig won’t become a free agent until 2020, so the Dodgers aren’t working against a tight deadline. They can choose to wait until next year to see whether his numbers improve, thus increasing his worth on the trade market.
However, Los Angeles will have a logjam in the outfield when Andre Ethier (leg) and Joc Pederson (shoulder) return from the disabled list. Trading Puig might also bring back a starting pitcher, which the team desperately needs.
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