The Orioles are interested in signing free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and have made “at least one offer,” according to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. We don’t yet know an estimate of the value of that contract offer, but one can only assume it would be a one-year pact for Puig, who evidently didn’t garner the interest he had hoped to in free agency.
Puig, 29, is certainly the most intriguing player left on the open market, with teams expressing a relative lack of interest in the former Dodger compared to other outfielders. That, combined with an extended stay in free agency due to the roster freeze enforced during MLB’s shutdown, means that Puig has largely been forgotten as the regular season approaches.
But he may have found a match in Baltimore. With just about two weeks until the season is set to get underway, there’s a clear need in the outfield. Whereas one might have projected the O’s Opening Day outfield to consist of Dwight Smith Jr., Anthony Santander, and Trey Mancini, none of those three are currently in camp. Mancini, of course, is recovering from surgery to remove a malignant tumor. But the unforeseen absences of Santander and Smith Jr., who have yet to report for camp, have made the Baltimore outfield mix especially thin.
Assuming that Santander and Smith Jr. will return to full health in the near future, that need will be mitigated some, but signing Puig might be preferable to relying on some combination of Stevie Wilkerson, D.J. Stewart, and Austin Hays. Puig could slide right into Mancini’s spot in right field, forming a respectable outfield trio alongside (hopefully) Smith Jr. and Santander.
If Puig were to sign with Baltimore, he would instantly become the most recognizable—and perhaps the best—player on an otherwise destitute roster, especially one that will likely be without Trey Mancini for 2020. And while Puig is no longer the electrifying young star that quickly rose to fame when he entered the league, that doesn’t mean he can’t be a productive Major Leaguer.
Last year, between Cincinnati and Cleveland, Puig batted .267/.327/.458 and slugged 24 home runs. He also managed to steal 19 bases—albeit without great efficiency—and has a track record of solid defense in right field. Needless to say, this wouldn’t be a slam dunk signing for the Orioles, and it likely doesn’t significantly improve the 2020 outlook, but it’s the type of signing that makes sense for a club in their position.
CHRIS DAVIS WILL HIT 300 and 35 BOMBS. THEY WILL ALSO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AND POSSIBLE WORLD SERIES. WHEN IT HAPPENS REMEMBER ME.
OK!!!!!
I LIKE LOUD NOISES
Smokin’ in the boys room -Lol
It’ll be about 4 yrs when O’s might contend – sorry. But we like O’s more than RedSox
Short season anything can happen
got that right!
Any team in such a crazy situation can finish last including the Yankees (who I like many others predict to win this exhibition).
Another blog is closed for comments so I’ll post here. Cano can actually benefit from this mess as if it proves successful, the DH in the NL can become permanent.
They are pushing to make it permanent for 2022 I believe. 2021 will return to the regular rules. That’s what I had heard but have no support to really back it.
The issue is the CBA. I hate the DH but I expect the league to make a concession to the union and the DH will forever be universal.
1.7 HR/game…..no big deal
Uh?
Wouldn’t 1.7 HR’s/game over 60 games (quick math in head) be ~ 102?
Is that an OBP of .300 maybe, and the 35 bombs are over the life of the rest of his contract?
.300 slugging and his post MLB career in softball
Not in 60 games
.300 is far more likely as anyone could get lucky for 60 games. 35 bombs would be a better pace than 2nd half 2017 Stanton.
Why would they want Puig???
To flip him if he does well…
Because he is a better player than just about anyone that they have. If they aren’t going to at least try to look like a big league team, just have the whole team opt out and now waste everyone’s time.
Yea O’s hater we got it. The writer obviously doesn’t know the O’s. Hayes IS the starting center fielder so not including him over Smith is comical. Puig should jump at this deal. Playing time, offensive parks in the AL East. Chance for him to setup solid value.
ALL THIS YELLING REMINDS ME OF MY SECOND EX-WIFE. GO EASY ON OLE DUCKY, FELLAS. THESE ARE NOT FOND MEMORIES.
merci
I feel your pain ! Have you met my ex wife ? Everyone else has.
Heh.
An oldie but goodie.
To be straight up and down, history has shown that I’m a pretty lousy husband.
Uh.
Filed under: it is what it is.
Chris Davis hasn’t over .230 since 2015 and has NEVER had a batting average over .300 in a single season. And he’s 33. Hope you are joking.
I see dead people
As much as that would be awesome, i don’t see it happening. I don’t see us relevant again for another 5-6 years if that. We have an owner who spends big money on the wrong people
Lol he’ll hit 35 bombs over the course of 2 and a half seasons. With a ba of .219
I will also remember you when they get slaughtered this season
I like your thought process
honestly might as well. Outside of Santander and Hays you don’t have a likely OF who he would be blocking right off the bat. Mountcastle can move around and Diaz really isnt ready yet.
Mountcastle can play first too
yeah that’s my point. he’s not blocked because he can play 1st, DH, and they can throw him out at even 3rd if they need to.
Mountcastle at third would be a hot mess. He has horrible throwing mechanics.
the point though is on a team as bad as Baltimore, you can throw tje guy out there and it doesn’t matter. putting him at 3B is just another potential way to get his bat into the lineup, not a long term position.
Mountcastle can play first too
And third and was drafted as a shortstop I believe
If he gets more than 50 major league innings at 3rd in his career, I’d be shocked. Then again it is the Orioles who have ran with Mancini as a full time outfielder, so who the heck knows.
I think Mullins has potential. I think Santander will be good to but yea outside of that its not very good. Think we need a vet out there helping the younger guys. That’s why we should have kept Jones
Mullins is awful and has no MLB future.
Orioles magic
Whatever the offer is, Puig needs to take it. Otherwise he might as well set his sites on 2021 when interest in him will be even more scant if you can imagine that.
I agree. I was just talking about him with someone else saying he hasn’t signed yet probably because of his attitude he has. Good player, just needs to get himself in check
Adam Jones signed a decent deal in the NPB.
Fyi
I can see Puig fitting in very well in the nice culture Hyde is creating.
Front load a deal with a ton (relatively) of bonus money, then trade him on August 31….somebody’s going to want him…..
Does anyone know what the trade deadline will look like? Is there one? Seems like a decent move for he orioles to sign him for cheap and hope to trade him if he performs well to a contending team.
Aug 31
That is going to be tight. I doubt too many teams will have a good idea of where they are with respect to playoffs by that time. Seems they should push that back at least a couple weeks so teams can make a better decision about whether they are contenders or not.
I think the teams dealing with an injury or two will exercise a deadline deal. It is tight, as you said. At 60 games they have no choice.
Puig on the Orioles is like ointment on a third degree burn
Interesting.
Puig will want $3M+ to play this year ($3M for 60 games).
I tend to agree that Puig is gonna want some serious (relatively) cash to play… and if that’s the case, it surprises the heck out of me that the Orioles are interested. They’re about the only “close to no chance at all” team on the schedule this “season.” Why spend any money at all?
They’re just trying to make some noise. Short season anything is possible. If he can get going and Davis gets locked in , They can do some damage! Then they can trade him at the deadline for draft picks!
You can’t trade draft picks in Baseball. You must be thinking of other sports.
Maybe they’re hoping bringing in a bigger name will help to sell a few more tickets…?
Don’t think they will be playing to crowds. Haven’t heard much about it yet
Yeah, that was the joke. Sarcasm doesn’t come across great via text.
Well, if the goal is to corrupt young talent and accumulate high draft picks, having Puig around and Davis entrenched in the lineup would be the way to do it.
Kidding.
My how the mighty have fallen.
He should take any deal they offer him.
Be a positive influence, demonstrate good character, have a good year offensively and defensively and he might receive better offers next off season.
Thin your career is in purgatory?
Why not join the Orioles to sort things out?!
If you told me back in 2014 that Yasiel Puig would have to settle for a cheap one year deal from a team that lost 108 games last season was still in the middle of rebuilding, I would have thought you were crazy.
Granted, there have been a lot of things that are a lot more crazy than that happening this year, but this still holds true for Puig and how far he went from looking like the Dodgers’ next super star to where he is now.
Mlb1225 that was 6 seasons ago
Yes, 2014 was 6 years ago. What about it?
Six seasons ago … when Puig was 23… The original comment makes perfect sense. A lot of people projected him for greatness, with his age 28 season being one of his better ones.
Real question is if he will die his hair Oriole Orange
That was my first thought when I saw the headline
If I’m an O’s fan, I’d rather not sign him as I have to think they are currently the favorites to land the #1 pick next year. Playing all those AL and NL east teams this year, they will be lucky to win 15 games
Mire than likely a free a prospect if they eat some money though
Seems weird that the Orioles would release Villar earlier this offseason, but then sign Puig now.
They traded Villar
They put Villar on outright waivers, then traded him for a bag of peanuts. It was a salary dump either way. Why dump salary then spend on Puig now?
I don’t imagine they think they’ll be competitive this year even in a shortened season. Or that Puig is the veteran leadership the team needs to aid in the development of young talent. And hoping to drive ticket sales is obviously not a thing this year. So it would only make sense if they thought Puig would have mid-season trade value.
Given the short season, if an injury on a contender takes someone out for 2-3 weeks, the team will be much more motivated to find a replacement than in a normal full season. And more players could go on the COVID IL mid-season, creating more trade demand. So maybe the changed circumstances make a Puig signing now more sensible than hanging on to Villar.
Villar made 11.5 million and is a bad defensive SS. Puig will get maybe 3-4 million. OF depth is shallow. Makes sense to me.
Doubt he signs with the bad news orioles
For all the comments that the Orioles should sign Puig and trade him at the deadline. If Puig were such a valuable trade chip, wouldn’t one of the other 29 teams have signed him by now? Why take a pass on him now and then give up something later to get him? This is just Puig’s agent trying to get other teams like the Giants to make him an offer
Good point. I just think this years trading will be so weird. How are teams gonna consider if they’re contenders or not based off 30 games? You can only be so far out of the race after a month of baseball. If a teams 10-20 and another team is 20-10, they’re only 5 games out. Now that I wrote that I guess you could have a lot of 15-15 teams only being 2.5 games out. Who knows.
Because right now you don’t know what your playoff race is going to be like.
If I were Puig, I’d be using that contract offer from the Orioles as leverage in the hopes of signing with a better team, such as the Braves.
Puig to the Braves makes a lot of sense. With Freeman’s illness and Markakis opting out, they could really use another solid bat and decent, veteran OF glove to round out their roster. Pache should get some time too, but Puig makes a lot of sense if they are looking for a playoff berth.
To be honest if a contender wanted him they would sign him now
Things change. Sometimes players get injured. And there is this little pandemic going on still.
Gotta put a productive player on the field if you are going for the crown.
Please sign him so I can’t stop reading the idiot comments about him playing for the Giants.
Hopefully Puig Nd the Orioles batting coach will not consumate a relationship so Puig will be kissing on camera.
Ah yes, the great line of classy Orioles ball players…F Robby, B Robby, Paul Blair, Mike Cuellar, Mark Belanger……
and Yasiel Puig……..
♂️♂️♂️♂️
I can’t tell you how important emojis are right now. It needs to be fixed.
If the Orioles were seriously interested in Puig, would we be hearing about it from the New York Yankees beat writer? Most likely, he heard it from Puig’s agent to drum up interest in his client
Puig is one of those players who has the talent but never seems to stay focused over the course of a season. Maybe a shorter season will benefit him? He’s kind of a headcase though, so the better question is that the type of player the O’s should bring into their young clubhouse?
No
I’ve always liked guys with Puig’s offensive profile; those power/speed players. Puig can make a play in the outfield too, man.
I get that he also comes with the proverbial “baggage”. He’s a good player, though. So there’s that. Which is typically my bottom line. I’m looking for ballplayers, man. Not dudes to go to a church picnic.
That’s me though.
Good for the Orioles. I think he *will* be their best player. No disrespect meant Oriole fellas. I’m a Yankee fan. So I know you guys’ll be back. Sooner than I’d care for.
Also; 19 SB’s Vs 7 CS’s. Some of the fellas & myself were discussing the stolen base on the Mateo thread from a few days ago. I get that 19/26 isn’t “great efficiency”, or whatever.
I think that’s *still* absolutely a viable threat/weapon.
Uh?
WTF? A logical Yankee fan?
Now now, @jerzey
There are many of us.
I understand that some Yanks fans can be… trying. Know what, though? *Every* fan base of every team has fans like that. The Yankees just have so many fans it probably seems like a disproportionate amount.
You make a solid point. And it’s always good to have the perspective of a rival fan. I tip my hat to you in respect.
merci, @cmatt.
Hat tips are good!
Honestly, I struggle with a lot of the Yankee fan base. Not due to being illogical.
Rather, they’ve become an extremely pessimistic lot ever since The Year That Shall Not Be Named.
(don’t wanna hear about it @mantooth)
Go sign him Baltimore
Why is there next to no interest in this guy? Is his persona really that bad?
Even without Santander and Mancini, the O’s have Hays, Alberto, and Nunez not getting enough love.
Alberto and Nunez are infielders, not outfielders. Puig would have no bearing on their playing times.
MLBTR sends its condolences to the Family of Yasiel Puig for considering to sign with the Baltimore O’s
As to why the O’s would do a “sign and trade” with Puig, it’s pretty simple. If he wants,say 4M, sign him for 3M with a 1M bonus. That way the accepting team has very little salry obligation. A Yasiel Puig at minimum wage is much more attractive than a Yasiel Puig at 3 or 4 million.
It’s all about the Bengimens, especially this year. And again, the O’s right now need to build inventory, the inventory being prospect capital. They’re getting better, but given the money they have, it’s been a bit slow.
4M is cheap
You make a solid point. And it’s always good to have the perspective of a rival fan. I tip my hat to you in respect.
This is a no-lose situation for the O’s. Puig performs, trade him. If he doesn’t, so what. This would be a good spot.
If he doesn’t bench him lmao
Idk why a better team doesn’t try to get him. Also, out of the two worse teams in the league, I figured Miami would try to grab him or at least should. He just profiles well especially for the overall Miami culture and fan base
The word is “worst,” not “worse.”
“Of the two worst teams, one team is worse than the other.”
This would be a wasted signing. With no fans in the stands, what is the point? He is not going to pitch the O’s into contention, short season or not.
To get a major league caliber outfielder on the team. Could possibly be used to pick up a prospect at the deadline. If not, the O’s aren’t exactly deep In the outfield. Dwight Smith JR and everyday outfielder aren’t two words that should go together