Yasiel Puig being sent to minors after Dodgers fail to deal him
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on their way to Colorado to play the Rockies, but they left a key member of the team behind. Outfielder Yasiel Puig will reportedly be sent to the minors after the team failed to trade him, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Details are scarce at the moment, but Puig reportedly stormed off early Monday after being told he would either be traded or sent to the minors. Puig remained with the Dodgers after the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, so the team had to resort to the second option.
The detail about Puig storming off may have been overblown. The club told him not to report to the park today in order to avoid that type of situation.
Sources: Yasiel Puig was instructed not to report to stadium or plane today and did not. Told he would be demoted to minors or traded.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) August 1, 2016
Both the Dodgers and Puig’s representatives have confirmed that the initial report that Puig stormed off was inaccurate.
The 25-year-old hasn’t had a great season, but missed time due to a hamstring injury. Since his return from the disabled list in June, Puig has hit .308/.390/.444. over 105 plate appearances. His recent success makes the club’s decision to send him down even more puzzling.
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In the short term, the club is well-equipped to handle the demotion. The Dodgers acquired outfielder Josh Reddick from the Oakland Athletics at the deadline. He should slot into Puig’s spot in right. Many wondered how the Dodgers would sort out their playing time situation after adding another outfielder to a crowded situation. With Puig’s demotion, they have the answer.
As for the long term, well, that’s unclear. Puig is under contract with the Dodgers through the 2018 season. Given his reported reaction to the move, it’s reasonable to wonder how much longer he’ll remain within the organization.
Given Puig’s sometimes contentious relationship with the organization, it’s possible that there’s more to this story than is currently being reported. Nothing is ever as clear cut as it seems when Puig is involved.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
