Dodgers: Former LA Outfielder Yasiel Puig Could Be Headed to the KBO
Yasiel Puig generated a lot of interest when he first broke into the league with the Dodgers in 2013. He had one of the most dominating call-up weeks in the history of baseball, creating highlight reel after highlight reel every night. Whether it be hitting a grand slam or throwing someone out trying to advance to third, Puig took the Dodgers faithful by storm.
Six years since Yasiel Puig’s debut.
Wild. pic.twitter.com/kwxXgoNHoi
— Vincent Samperio (@VinceSamperio) June 3, 2019
However, his tenure with the Dodgers did not always hold the same excitement as that debut week. Puig’s time with Los Angeles held moments of greatness but also moments of disruption and failure to meet expectations. In 2018, the Dodgers shipped Puig and three other players to the Cincinnati Reds in a salary dump. Half a season later, Puig would be traded to Cleveland in a 3-team deal. Following the 2019 season, Puig went unsigned and has spent time playing in the Mexican League as well as the Dominican Winter League.
Puig has expressed interest in making a comeback in Major League Baseball, and it’s looking like he could take a step in that direction. According to Baseball Writer Francys Romero, Puig is generating interest from 4 Korean Baseball Organization teams. The Kiwoom Heroes, Hanwha Eagles, Kia Tigers, and LG Twins have all shown they would like to sign him.
Sources: Yasiel Puig continues to generate interest in 4 different KBO teams (Kiwoom Heroes, Hanwha Eagles, Kia Tigers, and LG Twins). One of these is quite close to an agreement with the Cuban outfielder. It would be an excellent opportunity.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 7, 2021
Heading to the KBO would provide Puig with an opportunity to prove he deserves another chance at playing in Major League Baseball. Many players have spent time in the KBO as a way to show MLB teams that they can still perform at a high level.
Yasiel is a career .277 hitter with 132 home runs, 415 RBIs, and 79 stolen bases across 7 seasons. Despite the issues he may have had in the clubhouse, it would be nice to see the Wild Horse roam free once again, hopefully after a successful stint in Korea.
NEXT: Why Kyle Schwarber Actually Makes Sense for LA in Free Agency
Am I the only one that had to search through the article to find out what the heck a KBO was??
No matter how hard he tries, MLB will not want him back.
Agreed. And sad about it, but it’s not without reason.
It’s a shame that Puig is being blackballed like this by the MLB. By all accounts, he has matured and performed well in the Mexican League this summer season. I would assume that there has to be at least 1 MLB team that could use him patrolling RF this upcoming season. I know the Dodgers are past him and he will never wear the Blue again but, I also hope he can find a Major League team soon. #PuigMyFriend
I believe Puig’s days with the Dodgers is over. He may have cost the Dodgers the 2017 WS when he was not positioned to catch a ball hit to him. He might get signed with a MLB team not the Dodgers
Too bad.
He sure would be a hell of a lot better than the .100 batting avg slugs we were stuck with this past season.
Anybody else notice who the jackass was who was coaching first when Puig threw that runner out?