LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Tuesday, August 2 that they will be sending Yasiel Puig to the minor leagues to make room for new acquisitions Rich Hill, Josh Reddick, and Jesse Chavez.
Puig’s representatives were made aware of the decision by the Dodgers on Monday during the trade deadline. Puig arrived to the major leagues in 2013.
In 104 games of his rookie season, Puig hit 19 home runs, and helped the Dodgers win the National League West which is credited with helping former manager Don Mattingly keep his job.
Puig’s base percentage has dropped significantly since he first arrived with the Dodgers. It appears that Puig has struggled with adjusting to the league since his arrival.
In his first year, he had an OPS of .925 and his OPS is now at a low .706 within just 3 years of playing in the league. With Puig now working through another hamstring issue in the past two seasons, the Dodgers have not seen the production that would match the his potential.
Puig has been a magnet of attention, though not all positive. The Puig-Mattingly relationship went sour and the team’s acceptance of him went rocky. The Dodgers could opt to release Puig and move on without him, but that would leave them on the hook to pay the remainder of his contract and give another team the opportunity to sign the outfielder for a lower contract.
Monday’s news to send Puig down was dramatic, but all might not be lost for him. If he can handle the demotion professionally and show some progress it can be possible for the Dodgers to call him back up when rosters expand in September. Whatever happens between now and then should be interesting to see.
