Finding the best potential fits for Puig

1470350426922

One thing interested teams should know about Yasiel Puig: He likes video games.

He really, really likes video games.

Puig just about wore out the Dodgers’ copy of FIFA 16 this spring. He played it non-stop on the clubhouse big screen against a revolving cast of teammates.

The games were loud and animated. At least his side of the games were.

Puig wanted to win those games with an intensity that didn’t seem healthy. He almost had Joc Pederson in tears after one game — not exactly the dynamic you’d want before getting your work done in Spring Training.

This is the thinnest glimpse of the side of Puig that got him dispatched to the Minor Leagues on Tuesday.

The bigger issue, of course, was a .706 OPS, which ranked 169th of 225 players with at least 250 plate appearances. He was at .925 in 2013, ranking 11th among 316 such players.

Soon (if not already), he could be put on waivers by the Dodgers, who seem noncommittal about continuing the relationship. He seems unlikely to sail through waivers, as his contract calls for only $14 million over the next two seasons — a relative bargain for a player who has demonstrated his kind of upside.

That’s a minor risk, especially for a team with payroll flexibility. So who wants to try to lasso the Wild Horse?

Here are potential landing spots, listed in order of who gets priority if there are multiple waiver claims. Waiver priority is determined by reverse standings — worst to best record — in the player’s league, followed by reverse standings in the other league, so all National League clubs would get a chance at claiming Puig before an American League club would.)

Phillies: No team has gotten less out of right field than the surprisingly competitive squad in Philadelphia, which could use some pop. The recent activation of Aaron Altherr looks to be an upgrade in right field, but Pete Mackanin could use Puig in left if he wants Altherr to stay in right. With Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz coming off the payroll after the season, Puig could be joined by a couple key acquisitions over the winter, as the Phillies look to build a competitive lineup behind their promising pitching …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *