Atlanta Braves Waiver Wire Rumors
By Fred Owens
Yasiel Puig
Two days ago Jim Bowden writing for ESPN ($) suggested that the mercurial Dodger outfielder could be targeted by the Braves.
"According to a source, if the Atlanta Braves still have the worst record in the league when he’s put through waivers, don’t be surprised if they claim him and try to get him for a mid-level pitching prospect."
Mr. Bowden’s sources are not always as reliable as other insiders and frankly I blew this off as Bowden having a deadline to meet and needing to stir up the LA crowd. I still feel that way but the reasoning behind it does make some sense. As MLBTR put it “. . . I feel he’ll clear waivers. . . (and) it’s easy to see a team like the Braves . . .being genuinely motivated to get a deal worked out if they claim him. . .
Why would the Dodgers trade him? Mercurial is a perfect description of the 25-year-old who burst onto the scene in 2013 posting a .925 OPS and making spectacular throws from right field to nail runners. In 2014 he posted another eye-popping OPS (863) in 148 games yet still seemed to be a problem off the field for the Dodgers and got only 14 PA in four post season games.
Some blamed Don Mattingly but that claim’s been roundly dismissed since Mattingly moved to Miami, Last season injury restricted Puig to 79 games with only 311 PA. This season the injury plagued, enigmatic star’s appeared in just 81 games getting 303 PA.
Last week the Dodgers traded for Josh Reddick, Puig missed his flight to Colorado – you choose the reason – and on Thursday he was optioned to AAA Oklahoma City with his future in Dodger blue in doubt.
Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi was asked bout Puig’s future and told reporters he “didn’t want to handicap that situation.” In the linked post orange County Register reported Bill Plunkett summed up the situation like this.
"The Dodgers certainly didn’t offer a clear process for Puig to work his way back. . .Zaidi gave the impression that Puig was given the news about his demotion – when the Dodgers were unable to trade (before the deadline) through his agent and not directly from the Dodgers."
Usually the manager and GM talk to the player directly when such things happen so this looks like he’s done in LA.
Bowden suggests a mid-level pitching project would do it so let’s call the Chris Ellis for the sake of argument. There would probably be at least one more piece but not one the Braves would miss and they might throw in a similarly anonymous or at least less well-known body to make taking the contract and the risk palatable.
The contract isn’t onerous. Puig has $23.24M left through 2019 in increments of $7.214M, $8.214M and $8.214M. On paper he’d have to put up < 1 WAR to justify any of those seasons and he did that in 78 games last season which by the way still produced a .758 OPS and 11 homers.
That kind of pickup matches John Hart’s scenario for acquiring controllable bats at low-cost and Puig’s talent isn’t in question so why not?
Next: Why Not?