In a welcomed changed from recent years, the past Major League Baseball offseason saw teams spending aggressively in free agency, with some of the sport’s top players such as Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg all signing contracts north of $200 million.
One free agent who didn’t sign a lucrative contract, or even any deal at all, was former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig.
There’s no denying Puig’s raw talent on the field as in 149 games between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians last season he hit .267/.327/.458 with 30 doubles, 24 home runs, 76 runs scored, 84 RBI and 19 stolen bases.
It’s no secret that he has a big personality and has caused some locker room issues throughout the course of his career though, which is why the calendar is about to flip to May and he still has yet to find a new home.
While it’s currently unclear when the 2020 MLB season will be able to begin due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it appears Puig may have finally found a place to play. According to Cuban baseball writer Francys Romero, Puig is close to signing a contract with the San Francisco Giants:
Sources: Yasiel Puig is very close to sign with San Francisco Giants, a source tells me. The contract amount is unknown, but would have a one-year option.
Both sides, Puig and Giants are waiting for MLB to clarify the return date of baseball to make the official agreement. pic.twitter.com/I6f7xWT7go
— Francys Romero (@FrancysRomero10) April 26, 2020
This is certainly an interesting pairing considering Puig played six seasons with the Dodgers and is arguably the most hated player in the league amongst Giants fans. He has gotten into a number of altercations with San Francisco players throughout the course of his career, most notably Madison Bumgarner, who now plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Giants are in the midst of a rebuild though and can use as many talented players as they can get, which is why the signing of Puig makes some sense. Additionally, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is familiar with Puig from their time together in L.A. so he knows very well what he’s getting himself into.
While it will be tough for Dodgers fans to see Puig wearing orange on the rival Giants, it is good to see that will have a job for the 2020 season, if one is to be played.
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