FanPost

The Case for Yasiel Puig

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

I know, I know. I hate him too. He's a constant headache off the field, doesn't hustle, and really doesn't seem to care about the game of baseball very much. I'm not saying I want Yasiel Puig on the Angels, I'm going to try to argue that it might be a smart move to bring him in. So hear me out; read the article before dismissing the idea.

Now, the obvious upside here is the raw talent. In 2013, in 104 games, he slashed .319/.391/.534 to go along with 21 doubles,19 homers, and 11 stolen bases. In 2014 he played 148 games, again putting up stellar numbers to the tune of .296/.382/.480 with 37 doubles, 9 triples, 16 homers, and 11 stolen bases, and was an all-star starter. He also has possibly the best outfield arm in the major leagues. All of this adds up to a bona fide star. And that star is on a very team friendly contract, owed just over $8 MM next year and just over $9 MM in 2018

So why is he potentially available as a waiver trade target? Well there are countless off-the-field episodes that I don't want to even try to get into. He is also a headache in the clubhouse. He has struggled with injuries these past two years, and has also put up less-than-stellar numbers. With the Dodgers' acquisition of Josh Reddick, there doesn't seem to be room for him in the outfield. And when the Dodgers told Puig he would either be traded or sent down, he threw a temper tantrum and refused to get on the team plane to Denver. This is not to mention countless episodes of lackadaisical effort in the field, forgetting how many outs there are, and other such antics (very similar to those that tank Yunel Escobar's trade value). Need I remind you of when Albert Pujols (yes, that Albert Pujols) tagged up from first on a fly ball because of how lazily Puig played it? All of this adds up to a headache that the Dodgers simply don't want to deal with anymore.

Based on all of that, you may be thinking that you wouldn't want to touch Puig with a ten foot pole. I understand. I share some of that sentiment as well. But if you look at it objectively, it's clear that this is a simple risk/reward exercise. The risk? He could continue to struggle with injuries, put up good-not-grea t numbers when healthy, and tank clubhouse morale. If this happens, the Angles would likely have to trade him for peanuts or release him, wasting whatever they have to give up to acquire him. The potential reward? A change of scenery does him well, the injuries prove to be a fluke, and the Angels suddenly have a perennial all-star starter manning left field.

The reality would likely be somewhere in between these two extremes, but here's why I believe it would be closer to the "reward" side. By all accounts, the Angels have a great clubhouse. They have multiple veteran leaders, and I think Puig could benefit from superstar role models like Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (yes, I know Trout is a year younger than Puig). I say that if anyone can get Puig into line, it's Scioscia, Pujols, and Trout. Also, I think Puig is a bit fed up with the Dodgers at this point, and that is somewhat understandable. They seem to constantly have a logjam in the outfield and because of their constant tinkering, they never really defined a role for Puig. He has to feel constantly in danger of losing his job, and that has to get old. The Angels could hand him the left field job and plug him in at #2 in the lineup, and just let him play. When he does stupid things, Pujols can get mad at him. Trout can lead by example and show him how a true superstar should act, on and off the field. It might just work.

Possibly the biggest point I have to make here is this: what do we have to lose? I guess it depends somewhat on how much we would have to give up in a trade, but I tend to think it'll be cheap because the Dodgers seem done with him. But it really doesn't seem like this current Angels team is set up to win in 2017. This team is at a point where we need to take some calculated risks. Like we saw in the Hector Santiago trade, the only way for us to acquire high upside talent is to take on some baggage. So, we can use the rest of this year and next year to see if we can fix Yasiel Puig. If we succeed a little bit, we can trade him in our effort to build a great team in 2018. If we succeed a lot, he can be a part of that great team. Just sit here and dream with me for a second on our potential 2018 team:

Lineup

2B Logan Forsythe (FA signing)
RF Kole Calhoun
CF Mike Trout
LF Yasiel Puig
1B C.J. Cron (Matt Thaiss)
DH Albert Pujols
SS Andrelton Simmons
C Jett Bandy (Carlos Perez, Taylor Ward)
3B Kaleb Cowart (Sherman Johnson)

Rotation (+3)

Chris Sale (FA signing) (hey, a guy can dream, right?)
Garrett Richards
Andrew Heaney
Tyler Skaggs
Matt Shoemaker
Nick Tropeano
Nate Smith
Alex Meyer (Kyle McGowin)

This FanPost is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.

In This FanPost

Teams

Trending Discussions