There has been a lot of talk this offseason about the Mets getting “creative” to fill their holes before the 2019 season gets underway.
How about getting a little crazy?
Yasiel Puig’s name has come up recently as a potential trade candidate.
A “disgruntled” Yasiel Puig could be traded this offseason https://t.co/W40NsfQYm1 via @HardballTalk
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) December 7, 2018
I mean. We need a right handed outfielder, right?
Puig is unhappy how he is being used in Los Angeles. He is part of an interesting outfield platoon you just don’t see very often. The “Wild Horse” almost exclusively plays against right handed pitchers. There’s a reason for that.
Puig had 291 plate appearances against right-handed batters for an OPS of .921, compared to 153 plate appearances for a .638 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Puig who is one of the game’s best defensive outfielders, has one year remaining on his contract before he is eligible for free agency.
We all know what Yasiel Puig is capable of and it’s not all positive. He has rubbed a lot of people in baseball the wrong way since his electrifying debut in 2013. I believe this could work though.
Let’s go back to 2017. In late June, the Mets were in California playing Puig’s Dodgers. They were in a tailspin. Tyler Pill served up a homerun to Puig and he took his sweet time rounding the bases. Wilmer Flores wasn’t happy and had some words for him.
That led to this exchange between innings.
I remember watching this game at the time and thinking that Puig really seems to respect Yoenis Céspedes. It makes sense. They are both Cuban natives, with Céspedes being 5 years older. Could Céspedes tame the “Wild Horse?”
That’s unlikely. However, he might be able to keep Puig somewhat in check. I believe this dynamic could work.
The Dodgers aren’t going to dump Puig. They have made that clear. But if we can acquire him in a deal that’s reasonable, I think it’s something that should be considered.
The safe route would be Andrew McCutchen. That would probably be a two year deal. He is a steady player, but he is not the perennial MVP candidate he was a few years ago.
The risky route would be AJ Pollock. This would probably be a multi year deal for a player who is on a steady decline due to injury. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got hurt signing the contract.
How about putting Puig in the mix with Nimmo, McNeil, Conforto and Cano? When Céspedes returns this summer he would penciled into a prolific lineup.
We all know the baggage that Puig comes with. It’s also fun to think about the energy that he would bring to Queens.
He is a big time performer, producing on the biggest stages the game has to offer every fall. He is a plus defender, with an arm that can probably only be rivaled by Céspedes. He has become a consistent power threat, coming off back to back 20 homerun seasons.
You wanna get creative? This would be pretty damn creative.
