Free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig is in agreement with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization, reports Yonhap News (h/t to Yonhap’s Jeeho Yoo). It’ll be a one-year, $1MM contract, the maximum amount allowed under KBO rules for first-year foreign players. (Francys Romero of Las Mayores reported yesterday that Puig was nearing agreement with a KBO team).
Puig, who turned 31 years old yesterday, hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2019. After a league average offensive showing between the Reds and Indians that year, he lingered on the free agent market for the entire offseason. Puig looked as if he’d lined up a deal with the Braves coming out of the pandemic-driven transactions freeze last July, but his potential agreement with Atlanta was scuttled after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Puig didn’t wind up playing in 2020. During the ensuing offseason, a woman filed a civil action against him, alleging that he had sexually assaulted her in 2018. In March, John Barr of ESPN detailed the allegations, which Puig and his representatives denied. Criminal charges were never filed, and the parties settled the civil case out of court this past October.
While Puig continued to express interest in a return to Major League Baseball, he spent the 2021 season in the Mexican League. The right-handed hitter signed with El Águila de Veracruz. He hit .312/.409/.517 across 247 plate appearances and 62 games. He’ll now reportedly head to South Korea for his first career action outside of North America.
Puig has appeared in seven big league seasons, including star-level showings in each of his first two years with the Dodgers. He appeared on MVP balloting in both 2013 and 2014, earning an All-Star selection in the latter of those seasons. From 2015 onwards, Puig settled in as a solid but not elite offensive player, posting slightly above-average marks until his average 2019 showing. For his career, he’s a .277/.348/.475 hitter.
He’ll mash
This is hilarious. I can already see it. Puig will lick his bat and the crowd will go wild, And then he’ll get fined or something. You couldn’t have made this up. Who needs The Onion anymore when there are headlines like this? I tip my cap if you predicted Puig would end up playing in Korea. Who knows how long the lockout will last? Maybe Puig has inside information. I’ll watch some Korean Baseball Organization games if the Major League Baseball lockout lingers for a long time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the regular season is affected. I sure hope not, but it’s hard to be optimistic.
I did predict this for Puig. Best news I’ve heard in awhile and good riddance. He always underperformed anyways. He should’ve been a 40 homer a year guy with all that muscle and topped out at 28 one year.
Yes, FredMcGriff, especially in 2013, when the Dodgers won all those games with Puig.
Man, your username really shows how much time you spend in the comment section here.
Right and I bet he has many different versions of usernames too. He is all over the place on that rant!!
“Maybe Puig has inside information”.
I am not sure if Puig is a guy who ever had any information
Puig has gone unsigned the previous two winters before the lockout. The only inside info Puig has is no one wants him
Love it Migg !! Simply stated/ true/ hilarious
He almost signed with the Braves, but then failed his physical when he tested positive for Covid 19? Twist of fate? Rosario killed it for the Braves in his place
I’d sign in Korea after watching the Dodgers win in 2020 then the team you were suppose to sign with before karma got you for that thing that was settled outside of court? This is what happens to psychopaths eventually they have to relocate, anyone remember Puig licking his bat?
He almost signed with the Braves in 2020 only after Nick Markakis opted out of the season and then opted back in shortly after.
Rosario killed it in 2021. Neither instance is intertwined
A lot of guys lick or smell their bats, they claim they can tell how much ball they got by the heat on the bat
If Farhan won’t touch this guy he must really be cancer. His ceiling is through the roof but he brings more baggage than KK on a weekend at the beach.
Thanks to you I just wasted 2 minutes of my life trying to figure out why Kevin Kiermaier was going to the beach.
ahh, that’s mighty funny.
I’m lost. what is he doing at the beach and what relevance is there with Puig? I’m so easily confused
@stpbaseball I could be wrong but I believe he was referring to Kim Kardashian
Bingo. Not that I know from experience but I imagine she brings 10 bags for a weekend where she wears nothing but a bikini. Come to think of it I bet Puig does the same just to avoid getting robbed of all his jewelry for the 6th time.
Pretty sure he’s talking about Kyle Kendrick bro.
“KB oh that stands for Kieth Barranger”
-Zig Zag
And his floor is through the basement…..
Hopefully he finds the answer to his personal struggles.
Sadly, he will figure it out when he is an old man.
Running a shrimp boat….
‘Hopefully he finds the answer to his personal struggles.’
Yeah, thoughts and prayers…..LOL
PUUUUUUIIIIGGGGG
Good luck YP! Remember, they don’t put up with “shenanigans” like Americans do. Their driving laws be very strict so buy a Hyundai….
Lol!
Dude is the more modern Elijah Dukes of MLB, who the Rays had to hire a personal “keeper” to follow him around everywhere, making sure he didn’t get into any more trouble than he already had off the field.
Puig, should some GM suffer a poor lack of moral judgement, sign the guy, would require much more stern overwatch than the hapless Dukes did, who continued his criminal habits once being finally evicted from the game.. Like maybe being quarantined in a cell, by himself when not on the field he goes off and does so many totally “me king” things in his own mind.
Reason he’s not been invited back in the game. Talent is there, but the head is not.
George Foster once told me everyone talks about five tools but there’s a sixth tool you need and he tapped the side of his head.
We were talking about Puig but it also relates to other players.
I’m guessing your lack of that sixth tool is the reason why your opinions on baseball are such rubbish?
I loved George Foster. He would be in the HOF if Sparky hadn’t kept him on the bench his first five years.
Such an awful take. Puig might not be the sharpest pencil in the box and have an eccentric personality besides, but to make him out as a bad person because of that says more about you than it does about him.
truth hurt?
No, I always find that lies are what really hurts.
Can’t coverup the terrible things I posted above both Dukes and Puig did Blueskies. I challenge you to make it out as “lies” molestation of minors and spouse abuse go away in the case of Dukes.
Stop with the constant every time post something goes against a guy you may hold dear, even when it hurts.
So disappointing. If you reread what I wrote (and why didn’t you read it the first time?) my opinion about Dukes and his many serious issues was perfectly clear. Dukes is a deeply troubled person with a rap sheet to match. I was also clear in making the point that Puig’s personal issues aren’t even in the same universe with Dukes, and that is what made the comparison so completely inappropriate. Remember you’re the one who made it, not me. And sorry if I don’t take your invitation to stop disagreeing with you when you get something wrong, especially when it’s this wrong.
BlueSkies_LA, Defending Puig is a waste of time. His personal issues are bad. As a Dodger fan, it shouldn’t be that difficult for you to figure out.
Puig actually posted some heart-felt, remorseful words recently on his social media pages. They seem genuine and actually made me feel bad for the guy. He made some mistakes, but no way should he be black balled from MLB. He’s still a decent player with a cannon for an arm. I hope he makes it back to the Show sooner than later.
Comparing Puig to Elijah Dukes, a genuinely nasty and troubled person, is especially disgusting. The Puig haters should read this, but we know they won’t.
twitter.com/YasielPuig/status/1467245014086389760/…
From what I read, It’s because he’s Latino. He’s a victim.
Learn to read better.
These are all things that he was aware of. Puig is not remorseful; he is just trying to save face in the hopes a team takes a chance on him.
Tell us you’re a racist without saying you’re a racist.
Elijah Dukes makes Puig look like a Saint, just sayin. That dude strangled someone, then strangled the person who looked at him funny for strangling the first one and said what yall looking at when he was done like it was all normal behavior
What a mismatched comparison between Dukes and Puig. Apples and oranges Johnsilver. The wrap sheet on Dukes is astounding, but believable. Spend some time in another country then you might understand how different life is.
Depending on how long the lockout lasts, I could see many fringe players trying their luck in Asia for next season. KBO teams tend to cut foreigner players rather quickly due to a long injury or struggles out of the gate. I could see a revolving door, more than other years, in the Asian leagues for the next season.
Puig should play well on the field, the only question is whether he can behave off the field. If he can, maybe an MLB or NPB team might show interest in him for 2023.
At times, Yasiel Puig is a fun player to watch. I am very troubled by the sexual assault allegations, but then again, MLB is letting Marcell Ozuna back with hardly any penalty at all. Neither Puig nor Ozuna were convicted of anything, which as we know, still means something inappropriate or even criminal might have happened.
I have heard very mixed comments about what Puig is like in the clubhouse, some teammates like him and others do not. Hope Puig can behave himself and that he has a little left in the tank.
Does anyone know if, in 2022, the KBO will require players to get vaccinated? I did a quick Google search but did not uncover the answer.
sports.yahoo.com/yasiel-puig-settles-sexual-assaul…
Yes, we know that not being convicted of something still allows for the possibility that something happened, but the rest of us know that it also allows for the probability that what happened was not what was alleged. (Innocent until proven guilty).
It wasn’t a matter of being convicted or not, or of guilt or innocence, as these allegations never even got as far as filing a police report.
Don’t forget about Bauer, he is getting paid $64 mil over the next two seasons
If he dominates in the KBO maybe he can come back and get a nice deal like other players have done in the past. But it depends if he fixes his crazy ways so teams don’t have to worry about that.
MLBTR should really do more articles on Puig. I’m always wowed by how many commenters have passionate opinions about this guy. In terms of this comment section, he may be the most polarizing figure in baseball.
Couldn’t happen to a bigger jerk. Hope he stinks and is released
Anyone know how to say “Wackier than a bed bug” in Korean?
Uh krajey.
Not surprised in the least that Puig still has not and will not get tendered a major league offer. He was fun to watch in the early years but his lack of discipline and maturity has really hurt his chances of returning to the MLB. The Dodgers tried for years to groom his talent. The guy was too dumb to realize it.
The best part of this is that he is no longer in the US
If he puts up big numbers in the kbo someone will def sign him to a small deal in mlb for 2023
It won’t happen. Puig is finished in Major League Baseball for reasons unrelated to his baseball talent.
He was a bit, or a lot immature but he played hard, and played well, and a had a lot of moments of generosity. too many to be labeled a jerk. He isn’t. Y’all believe too much of the news. I hope he has a big year over there, and a fun one too.
MISSED IT BY THAT [ = ] MUCH !!
According to informed sources, The Marlins were in on Yasiel Puig right up until he signed the deal to join the Heroes.. The Marlins made a “strong” offer, but not one that matched the Heroes’ financial commitment. The Marlins weren’t the only team to be outbid.
The Minnesota Twins had also been linked to Puig.
Is this sarcasm? He only signed for $1M and it’s only for one year. Even the Rays are financially stable to beat that.
Puig would be third or fourth in the lineup of at least 10 teams in the Mlb and was a starter due to his quality in the RF in at least 15 teams. This was a decision of the MLB office, which in the end, is a dictatorship. Have an idea Correa, who is going to win 300 million, has not performed more than Puig and is no better than Puig, neither at bat nor at defense if we look at the numbers, Correa has been able to hit 500 times only in two seasons, but it is Raised on American farms, he has priority, this is why the big leagues keep losing fans