What a long strange off-season it has been for Yasiel Puig. The former star Dodgers outfielder remains unsigned into March, and teams linked to the former All-Star remain scarce.
Over the winter months, the Marlins, White Sox, and Giants among other teams have been linked to Puig, but apparently not in the ballpark financial range he was looking for.
Now, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times said that the Anaheim Angels have considered the Cuban native, but not terribly seriously.
Additionally, Puig reportedly turned down a $10M offer earlier in the off-season.
Love him or not, Puig is an idiot pic.twitter.com/xHu09wpEq5
— Cody Thomas Is My Dad (@ManfredIsTrash) March 3, 2020
After owner Arte Moreno pulled the plug on a deal that would have sent Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson to Orange County, the connection between the Angels and Puig makes sense.
The 29-year-old remains working out as he looks for a job. Recently he spent time in the cage at Swing Lab in Miami.
The long-time Dodger spent 6 seasons with LA before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds ahead of the 2019 season. He was later traded to the Cleveland Indians as they made a playoff push, but that club finished in second place in the AL Central behind the 101-win Minnesota Twins.
Despite a rough start with Cincy, the outfielder combined for a 101 wRC+ in 149 games in 2019. Moreover, he posted a .297/.377/.423 triple slash line after heading to Cleveland.
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As usual, his play on the field is likely not what’s holding the free agent back from a job. Instead it’s likely his “rap sheet” that’s scaring off teams. His reputation includes tardiness issues and early career troubles with the law.
Someone will eventually ink the Wild Horse — possibly even before opening day — and he’ll once again deliver plus outfield defense and a consistently inconsistent bat to a team in need.
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