Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi was non-committal when asked about Yasiel Puig‘s future with the organization, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. Puig was just optioned to Triple-A, with Zaidi characterizing the move as a reflection of “the fact that we were able to get a right fielder [Josh Reddick] that we believe is an upgrade for this team right now,” leading to “a little bit of a domino effect.”
But when asked whether the talented 25-year-old would play at the big league level again for the Dodgers, Zaidi demurred. “I don’t want to handicap that situation,” he said. “It certainly is a possibility. Beyond that, it’s just speculation.” While that statement certainly doesn’t suggest anything directly, it isn’t perhaps the standard front-office line for an established major leaguer who has been demoted but remains under contract for the foreseeable future.
The GM discussed several on-field improvements that Puig could work towards in the minors, but also didn’t suggest that the decision was purely related to performance. While it isn’t fair to say that the club ran out of patience with Puig, Zaidi said, there was clearly more at work here. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that he has had to expend added attention to keeping Puig on task, explaining that the outfielder has room to grow and needs to consistently put in the needed work at the major league level.
Puig entered the league with a big splash at just 22 years of age and continued to put up top-line offensive numbers in 2014. He started to turn down the following year, but was still an above-average hitter, and the fall-off has gotten worse thus far in 2016. Over his 303 plate appearances this year, Puig owns a meager .260/.320/.386 slash. While he has been significantly better since returning from the DL in late June, and still grades well in the outfield, the overall package is decidedly less appealing than it once was. There are also at least some long-term injury questions given Puig’s frequent hamstring issues.
Los Angeles is said to be open to dealing Puig, whose immense talent will undoubtedly draw interest — though it seems fair to say that any dealing is more likely to occur over the winter. It will certainly be interesting to see how the market values Puig if and when he is auctioned. His contract situation still rates as a positive, but it’s no longer the screaming value it once was. He’s set to earn at least $14MM over the next two years, and can be controlled for one more. Puig also has the right to opt into arbitration, though at this point that may not be the financially advisable route given his rough platform season.
I think that any team would be smart to take a chance, except Miami. He needs a change of scenery.
I don’t think Miami would bite, maybe perhaps to flip only.
A. RF has Stanton.
B. the manager is Mattingly.
Obviously puig has some off field issues that we as fans really don’t know much about. But looking at Jose Abreu and the of phenom he seemed to be, are we going to start seeing a trend in that MLB figures out these Cuban phenoms fairly quickly and then they are just above average rather than what the seem to be at the start? Yoan Moncada too maybe? Or should I say I hope being. A Yankee fan?
Well look at that dude the Red Sox signed a few years ago he never made anything for him self it’s like the players from Japan when Ichero got here he was great but the rest not so much
They call it One Hit Wonders!
Orchestrated “showcases” and Cuban League numbers that simply don’t translate long term to MLB.
Sorry Ben Badler but you just want to sell subscriptions.
I kind of feel like Puig got a raw deal this time around. He’s playing well enough to deserve ABs at the Major League lvl so the demotion was unwarranted IMO. Just the Dodgers brass exercising their authority…
I’d be fine with the Halos taking a gamble on him as long as the price was nil
I’d agree with that assessment of the FO. I actually thought a trade with a team like the Angels was going to happen. He’s controllable and not too expensive and could be a key piece as the Angels work their way back to contention. With waiver trades, may be unlikely considering the different leagues, but could be interesting over the winter.
I would be excited if we took a shot with him. problem is I can’t imagine he’ll be free and we don’t have much to offer
This has little to do with on field performance and everything to do with off field issues. Kershaw can’t stand him. Being an hour late to BP. He’s not in shape. Doc Roberts is the greatest man in the game. If he can’t get through to you, you might not be reachable.
The Kershaw part is speculation on the part of a player’s dad. Solid source. Most recent BP incident according to a Google search was Opening Day 2014. Recent.
If he’s getting a raw deal and still playing well enough to get ML playing time why would you expect to get him for “nil”?
I guess you could make the case for Puig deserving MLB at bats but I think you could just as easily make the case for him being sent down.
He has basically been replacement level this year and the Dodgers have 4 other OF’s (Reddick, Pederson, Thompson and Kendrick) who also deserve MLB playing time. Someone has to go move.
I sure hope his sister doesn’t get punched because of this!
Wow, That’s pretty low of you to make that comment.
Going Rosenthal are you? Puig did not punch his sister.
Nice
Classy
Yankees please work something out for this guy in the winter
Puig to the Yankees makes a lot of sense except that Puig might even be more impossible in New York. I doubt Girardi wants to deal with a low character jerk like Puig every day.
Just another example why that team can’t win a World Series.
How does demoting a 0.5fWAR outfielder cripple their WS chances?
I’d say it hurts but mostly because it illustrates a general stubbornness by the FO. More concerned with being the smartest guys in the room than with doing what’s best for the team. We talked yesterday about how Puig has been good of late, and Reddick actually has been quite bad recently. It’s taking a hot bat out of the lineup in the midst of a tight division race. In a more soft science way, it could be a ripple effect type move that takes the life out of a team that has been hot lately.
If it is because of “off field” issues, which might be impacting the clubhouse, the ripple effect could be quite positive.
It certainly could be. Whatever it was though, the team was playing well. If there was a crippling, insurmountable clubhouse issue, the team was doing remarkably well to overcome it. I’m not sure I buy the Dodgers being that resilient if Puig is up to shenanigans that are truly hurting team chemistry.
Because the GM didnt take the high road when asked
Because troll
I agree with slogar1 and argue that the issue is not so much the 0.5 fWAR as it is the smug, unjustifiably over-confident attitude of every current and former GM in the Dodgers FO toward anyone not in their supposedly smartest-in-the-room Dodgers GM Platoon.
It’s even more frustrating that a front office with that attitude and analytical bent is has continued to indict Puig just during a 30-game stretch that he’s been hitting .301/.383/.430 vs. their analytics-darling acquisition Reddick’s .267/.336/.448 over the same number of games.
The Dodgers are unlikely to win a World Series so long as the Dodgers GM Platoon spends more time explaining to us how much more unbelievably clever they are than the rest of us than they do putting their own manager and team in the best position to win meaningful games and championships.
I love how Puig’s BA at .260 is meager, heck he would have the second or third best BA on the Braves.
It’s his overall slash line we’re talking about. This site is well past focusing solely on batting average. Good corner outfielders can hit .260 but have an OPS of .906. Puig’s underperformance is underlined by his OPS being two hundred points lower at .706.
I understand and agree with your point, I was just looking solely at a quick glance. Did not intend to imply anything else.
His batting average since he came off the DL has been over .300
Don’t know about how he would compare on the Braves but I agree that a ..260 slash line has been referred to in MLB Trade Rumors countless times as terrific so what;s the story as to why this guy is put into the trash bin.
And REALLY REDDICK is the answer.!!! Reddick, I say again???? His stats look pretty much the same to me and he’s got injury concerns as well.
Something else is going on in LA. to prompt this for sure.
LOL
Initially Puig was amazing but success got too far into his head and this combined with the injuries took its toil. Hoping a change in scenery will help but OKC may not be far enough – would love to see the Dodgers trade him to a small market AL team like the Royals or maybe the Astros.
I think the Rangers clubhouse would be able to handle him. The overseas veteran influence might be able to keep him focused. Choo for Puig straight up.
Texas could be a good landing spot for Puig except that they don’t really need an outfielder. Maybe in the offseason assuming Beltran leaves and if they don’t bring Desmond back.
He still was doing pretty good on defense and has a cannon for a arm. If he can take this time to fix his swing and get back to being aggressive when the call ups come around he will be back up and could stick for the playoffs if we even make it.
it seems to me that theres more at play than meets the eye here. often guys with “meager’ batting numbers but elite defense and a cannon arm are truly valued, particularly prospects! Puig proved that when fit – after his DL stint- he can range back up into the excellence that he platformed in his first season and a half. Its a hard pill to swallow, to hear Reddick is an upgrade when they have such a crater between them defensively. Puig – 144 fielding runs above average/ year and 12 defensive runs saved per year at 12, while Reddick in those same categories -5 & 2, according to baseball-reference. The only sense of an upgrade is Reddicks bat, but he was hurt for a large portion of the season.
Seems like the Dodgers are being very quiet in avoiding the ‘other’ reasons he got sent down.
Not so much. You don’t have to read far between the lines to find the team’s opinion that his injuries stem at least in part his preparation and work habits.
Don’t give up on Puig. Sending him down was the right thing to do. Let him tear up the minors then bring him back in Sept. Dodgers should have sent Pederson down last year at this time to get his swing back. Instead he never came out of his slump and eventually lost his job.
I agree with your assessment of both situations and players. Baseball is a grind and sometimes guys need a change scenery and perspective.
There’s more behind this than performance. .260 is not a terrible average, it’s 5th on his team. Van Slyke would be a better candidate for demotion in my mind. Gotta be a chemistry thing.
Is this chemistry thing is all about magic potions? I’ve always wondered how that works. Players don’t have to love each other or even like each other much. Winning creates great chemistry, not the other way around. No, Roberts is facing the same issues with Puig as Mattingley did. Both tried to get him to live up to his potential with only limited success. Lots of different things have been tried, and now this.
Clubhouse chemistry will always be a factor until we get to the point where the players don’t have emotion. That chemistry can affect mood. Mood can affect performance. It also can cause a lack of communication, which can directly affect teamwork. It’s not a game of robots (so far). So psychosocial concerns still have an impact on the game.
.
The weird thing is, though, that since he came back in late June, the team has been winning, he’s been hitting, and everything seemed to be going well. If there was a chemistry issue, I’m sure the Dodgers aren’t so good that they’d just play through it and be the NL’s best offense in the month of July. I feel like this decision to move on from Puig was made a long time ago and FO and/or Roberts showed a failure to adapt to changing circumstances.
Sorry but this seems like hip-pocket psychobabble to me.. Some famously fractious teams were winners.
Reading articles about this, it’s pretty clear that no chemistry set is needed to understand what the Dodgers have gone through with Puig. Pretty obviously it’s been a care and feeding issue all along. He’s required more attention to it than the rest of the team and apparently that situation has not improved, at least not as much as was expected. One approach was taken by Mattingley, another by Roberts, and it wasn’t and isn’t the fault of either of them that Puig did not respond.
But not all. Some (most) didn’t win.
So it has to be all, or the other rule applies? Reductio ad absurdum.
Teams can seem fractured to the public, but they can still work together well. They can communicate despite differences. They can even have chemistry. Some players will actually perform better while angry or in a horrible mood. Some players simply are driven by other concerns more than other players. All players are different because they’re all human. There will always be a human factor, so the pyschosocial element will always be present.
The worst you can do is completely discount it. Just like the worst you can do on the opposite end of the spectrum is completely discount advanced metrics. Both have value. Good teams will strike a balance.
So what you are really saying is that chemistry matters, even if nobody really knows what chemical formula actually works. Could be one thing, or its complete opposite. Sounds like hocus-pocus to me. My objection is even with all of its vagueness and contradictions, the “chemistry” thing gets trotted out as an explanation whenever a team seems to be underperforming expectations. Why try to nail jello to the wall when other more objective issues are likely the cause?
So do you think it was a chemistry issue or not? You’re saying two different things here. If not chemistry, it certainly wasn’t performance, if it was just a Puig thing then it makes no sense to demote him.
Not sure if you’re asking me this question but either way I’ve answered it in several other posts.
What are you saying? Clearly Puig is a bigger clubhouse problem than an average clubhouse problem player. Demoting him couldn’t have been a decision that was easy for Dodger brass and coaches.
You’ve said chemistry isn’t an issue essentially, as winning fixes chemistry. The Dodgers have been winning, so shouldn’t chemistry be good by that logic? So if there is a care and feeding issue with Puig, then it must not be so detrimental to chemistry, based on what you’re saying, because the team is winning and Puig is playing well for the last month over the hot streak. So why would optioning him make sense? If he’s playing well, and winning produces good chemistry, and teams don’t have to get along anyways, then why is Puig being removed?
What I’ve said, more definitely than essentially, is that chemistry is not something you can detect, measure, or alter. It gets used as a voodoo explanation for a lot stuff you can detect, measure and alter. Puig’s issues aren’t chemical, they aren’t affecting the rest of the team in some apparent and negative way. This is not what management is saying. They are specific to him, specific to his focus, to his preparation, to his conditioning, to his injuries, to the consistency 0f his quality of play. This is what management is saying and this is why he was sent down. No need to look for metaphysical explanations.
Because something can’t be officially quantified doesn’t mean it invalidates it. Unfortunately, it’s simply more complex. But there are legions of studies exploring the effect of mood on job performance. This includes many studies on teamwork.
In reality there is more evidence to support team chemistry than there is modern advanced metrics at this point. Mainly because there are decades of evidence from thousands of companies to back the team chemistry up.
The problem is that many GMs, managers and reporters misuse it as that catch all. That doesn’t make it hocus pocus.
Okay, that very well may be, but if he has some issues that are only affecting him, they’re making him scortch the baseball for the last month. So that makes his demotion even more nonsensical than if it was a team chemistry issue. Unless you’re arguing against his demotion? If it’s just a Puig thing, not affecting the team at all, then they’re just trying to be big men and show him who is boss. I’m sorry, but this team is in a division race. That kind of macho nonsense has no place in a billion dollar sports franchise trying to win its first title in 28 years. For the record, I don’t think there is a “chemistry” issue. That’s what I was saying. I think it’s stubbornness on the part of the FO to send Puig down despite having lesser RHB on the team.
Two totally puzzling responses. Both you need to go back and reread what I wrote. If you want to talk about that, fine. Otherwise I have no idea what you are going on about.
Either you’re trolling and I have followed this far too long, or you’re serious. Either way, I suppose we’re done here. I’ve reread your comments and, when read in sequence, they make little to no sense. I get it, you make chemistry and chemistry set jokes. You don’t like the term “chemistry.” You don’t think it’s necessary for teams to get along. Okay. But my only question has been, if it’s not “chemistry”, just an individual issue with Puig as you suggest, then why send him down when he’s hitting?
Because it is an individual thing. Management’s problems with Puig aren’t that he wasn’t hitting over the past few weeks, it’s that his recurring on-field issues, including frequent injuries, seem to be a symptom of a lack of preparation and conditioning, and his recurring lack of concentration causing him to make mistakes in games. Such as turning a double or a triple into a single by standing at home plate admiring. Such as failing to advance on a sacrifice.
These are all fundamental baseball issues and the inability or unwillingness of a professional player to internalize them after years of close and patient and instruction is going to frustrate a manager, and take up time that he should be devoting to managing the entire team. So when Roberts says that “it’s a lot of little things,” Dodger fans know exactly what he means because we’ve been watching the games and watching Puig, and while we can see that he has grown, we can also understand that maybe it hasn’t been enough.
So my comments make perfectly good sense so long as you aren’t looking for something that isn’t there, and reading right past the things that are.
Draymond Green take note! Everyone is expendable if you push too many wrong buttons in the front office!
Cleveland should take a chance on him. LA would certainly eat some salary, Puig would probably step up his game short-term before he wears out his welcome and then you deal him in the offseason.
If the Dodgers FO has given up on Puig, CLE and Puig could both benefit from him joining their club and working with Francona.
Dodgers were looking hard for top end starters at deadline. They also could use a leadoff hitter. The Yanks are a clear match. If Tanaka and Elsbury waive no trade there is a clear match here. Yanks kick in money even though Dodgers can afford both and Dodgers send Puig and top prospect. Dodgers save money on Puig and get rid of him, Yanks save some on Els and Tanaka. Dodgers obtain another co Ace to go along with the best Ace. They also get a speedy leadoff hitter and go for it all. Elsbury joins Reddick and Pederson in outfield with Thompson platooning in and Kendrick platoons with Utley. Yanks continue rebuild. Makes too much sense. Thoughts????
Question: is he easier to trade as a minor leaguer now that the deadline has passed?
No, harder. He will have to be placed on waivers and the Dodgers will have to wait for a waiver claim. If any team claims him the Dodgers can negotiate a trade with that team only. If they don’t trade him to that team, the waivers can be withdrawn and Puig remains with the Dodgers. They can place him on waivers again, but they can’t be withdrawn the second time. Best case scenario, no team claims him off waivers the first time and he can then be traded to any team. So far he hasn’t been placed on waivers, but that happening seems virtually certain.
It doesn’t matter if he’s in the majors or minors. The question becomes whether he is on the 40 man roster. As long as he is, the same rules apply. And the only way to remove him from the 40 is to expose him to waivers. Nice catch-22.
Bring him to St. Louis and under the control of Molina. The dude just needs a change of scenery and St. Louis is perfect with the veteran leadership of Molina, Wainwright and a core of young talent that includes a budding Cuban star in Diaz
I’m pretty sure the Braves would claim him if LA tried a waiver trade, so no go for contenders/middling teams.
Swap Castillo and Puig, along with money going to LA. Boston is thin in the outfield and why not take a shot with the strong personalities that could have a positive impact on Puig. Then again, not sure if he’s worth the headache that comes with him….
He’s had plenty of mentorship opportunities in LA. It seems Adrian Gonzales really tried. The hugely likable and totally professional Juan Uribe in years past was his buddy. He’s had exposure to one of baseball’s most complete gamers in Chase Utley, the all-around smarts and personality of AJ Ellis, and many other good examples of players who work hard every day. He also got to see one of his baseball pals from Cuba (Erisbel Arrubarrena) suspended, twice. None of these object lessons seemed to have impact where it mattered.
Anyway, he’d have to clear waivers to be traded to Boston, where no doubt he’d be torn limb-from-limb by the fans and the local media for being his imperfect self.
Why would the Dodgers do that? Rusney has no value. Puig is just as off the team in OKC. Boston can continue paying Castillo. Before you even suggest it, adding the Panda won’t make it worthwhile, either
Boston isn’t really thin in the outfield, especially with Benintendi getting promoted. And there’s no way the Dodgers want Castillo over Puig.
We’ll take him. Call me Zaidi.
Puig and Kemp reunion in Atlanta? Might be interesting but it’s hard to believe that duo would pay any future dividends.
It’ll sell some season tickets at the new ballpark, and that’s all I’m looking to do. It’s all about the bottom line, baby!
So would anyone trade VanSlyke for Puig, even up, that’s what this silly front office did. Van Slyke who said the worst things about Puig had to most to gain, an now he has it.
All that Van Slyke gives you is a great beard and some roster flexibility. Puig still has tons of potential.
Puig>Van Slyke
Phillies should grab him. Can’t hurt. Then in winter put a package together for Trout which would include Herrera plus a lot more. Rebuild done
Braves can do an August deal for Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers send Puig to Atlanta for Erick Aybar, Braxton Davidson, Brandon Cunniff, and the Dian Toscano contract.
Atlanta is one of the teams that could make a waiver claim, but I wouldn’t see the Dodgers making a trade that leaves them with more sunk costs and nobody they can actually use.
Dodgers would probably rather cut Puig than take Erick Aybar and that negative value package back in a trade. Puig isn’t a salary dump at all because he’s so cheap, and he’s playing pretty well too. The Braves will have to give up something of decent value if they really want Puig.
They won’t have to cut him. Worst case, he is claimed off waivers and another team pays him. Best case, he clears waivers and the Dodgers are able to deal him.
Oh I know they won’t cut him. I’m just saying hypothetically they would rather cut him than trade him for a negative value package of players.
I see. Yes, that’s true.
Puig is owed significantly more than Aybar(6.5) and Toscano(3.3). Puig is owed (28). So the Braves are taking on $18+ million. Davidson is the Braves top outfield prospect and first round draft choice. There is every chance his future WAR is greater than Puig’s. Cunniff is a MLB ready relief pitcher. I would say that is something of value.
I would have said Markakis for Puig or someone else, but it had to be someone who would get through waivers. Puig is a $24.6 million or more dead weight for the Dodgers. Why not offload some of that.
First of all the Dodgers wouldn’t take Aybar back even if the Braves paid for all of his salary. Aybar is terrible, he plays a position the Dodgers don’t need, and he’s a free agent after the season. Davidson isn’t even a Braves top 20 prospect. I suspect the Dodgers could get something like two top 20 prospects for Puig because he’s so cheap, he’s only 25 and good. The Dodgers are a wealthy team. $24.6 million over three years is nothing to the Dodgers. Puig isn’t Matt Kemp who is really expensive, over 30, no longer gets on base and a terrible outfielder — in short a negative WAR player. Puig still has some real value even if his value is offset by the fact that he’s an asshole.
The Dodgers wouldn’t take Aybar back even if the Braves paid for his entire salary. Aybar is terrible, plays a position the Dodgers don’t need, and he’s a free agent after the season. Davidson isn’t even a top 20 player in the Braves system. The Dodgers could do a lot better than that especially if the best player coming back wasn’t dragged down by other negative value players. If you’re going to drag down a trade with Aybar and some other minor leaguers nobody wants then you’ll have to add a Joey Wentz or Touki Toussaint (or both) to the trade.
$24.6 million is nothing to the Dodgers. Puig is not Matt Kemp, a player who is really expensive, the other side of 30, doesn’t get on base and is a terrible defender. Puig is only 25 and is a positive WAR player even in a year marked by injury; and he’s started to hit again. Some teams won’t want Puig at all because of his character, but those willing to go for him will have to give up some real value to get him.
I believe that the Dodgers have Dian Toscano’s contract already
Puig has a terrible attitude every time he plays which is affecting how he plays. He should be demoted. I think the Dodgers are going to trade him.