Yasiel Puig remains a free agent, and is still waiting to be signed. With the season quickly approaching, let’s think about whether Puig would be a good fit for any team in the AL East.
Puig was reportedly offered a one year $10 million deal with a NL team, according to the Los Angeles Times. He declined the deal, deciding to wait out the market. Unfortunately, it’s getting late and the offers aren’t exactly rolling in. In fact, some teams that may have been a good fit for him already added outfield depth and no longer have a need.
What’s the hesitation signing Puig?
While Yasiel Puig is a great hitter, his numbers have been trending down over the past few years. Take a look at his wOBA below. wOBA is a stat that weights ways to reach base differently based on their value, and is intended to be an all-encompassing offensive stat. His wOBA is not bad (it’s above league average), but I think the issue is more the trend. It may have actually hurt him to have such strong numbers in the beginning of his career because now his numbers aren’t quite reaching that same threshold.
Puig would also not be a cheap sign. He’s a very talented player and he deserves to get a lot of money on the free agent market. However, teams can just get outfield depth from other, younger players.
It doesn’t make sense for a rebuilding team to sign him right now, as they are better off waiting to see who is available to be signed when they are ready to be competitive again. Based on that, I would think Puig would be better off with a team that is planning to be competitive the next couple of years. Or a team that he can help for the first half of the season (maybe a team who is waiting for someone to come back from injury), and then include him in a trade package come July.
So would Yasiel Puig fit in the AL East? Let’s take a look.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have had a rough two years, and this year doesn’t look any better for them. They are in the midst of a massive rebuild, which will hopefully get them to a more competitive place in the future. They are eagerly awaiting their top prospects to be ready for action, but it doesn’t seem like they will be competitive again until 2022.
With 2022 being three seasons away, it would not make any sense for them to sign Puig at this time, especially not to a long term deal. They are better off waiting to see who is available when they are ready to be competitive again.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox could use Puig as an extra outfielder, now that Mookie Betts is with the Dodgers, Brock Holt is with the Brewers, and Alex Verdugo has a stress fracture in his back. The Red Sox did just sign Kevin Pillar, but they could use an extra bat to help support Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr. and J.D. Martinez.
The Red Sox pitching is a little questionable for the start of the season. They no longer have Price or Porcello, and Chris Sale has recently reported elbow soreness (which may turn into something more serious). Even with Chris Sale, the Red Sox only have three starters and their bullpen can be inconsistent at times. Run support will be crucial for them, and Puig can certainly provide.
That being said, the Red Sox have a new GM and are definitely making some changes. They need to rebuild their farm system and find a way to have sustainable success for less money. I don’t think it is a good time for them to be signing Puig, especially if it’s a short term deal, because I don’t think his input would be enough to carry the Red Sox to the playoffs at this point.
New York Yankees
News just came out that Judge will most likely not be ready for opening day due to a pectoral muscle issue. Stanton is also out for the start of the season with a calf strain. Judge and Stanton join Aaron Hicks on the list of injured outfielders. Hicks is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is expected back around the all-star break.
So, the Yankees are down 3 outfielders to start the season. They also traded Cameron Maybin earlier this year, so in a way they are down 4 outfielders.
Enter Yasiel Puig, his bat, and his plus defensive ability. Yankees may want to consider signing him to stay competitive early in the year. The Yankees have a lot of talented younger players who are capable of filling the gaps, but it would be safer and better for them to have an experienced outfielder playing (especially one as talented as Puig). Right now it seems like Brett Gardner may fill the role as an everyday centerfielder. Personally, I believe Puig would be a good fit to be playing next to him in right.
Tampa Bay Rays
If it was the beginning of the offseason before the Rays signed anyone, I’d say Puig would be a great fit for them. His bat and his defense would be a huge offensive push for the Rays, especially after they dealt one of their most consistent hitters, Tommy Pham.
But since November, the Rays acquired 5 outfielders. They already had great defense, which has now been enforced with some of these deals. While they could’ve used Puig’s bat, I don’t think it makes sense anymore given their outfield options. Austin Meadows, Jose Martinez, Randy Arozarena, and Hunter Renfroe will carry the offense for the Rays outfield.
Toronto Blue Jays
I actually think the Blue Jays will have a pretty good team this year. They’ve had a busy offseason, signing a number of pitchers including Shun Yamaguchi, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Tanner Roark, and Rafael Dolis. They also signed a bunch of players to minor league deals, and seem like they are really making an effort to be competitive in the coming years.
If they signed Puig, they could upgrade their outfield and offensive ability too. The Blue Jays said earlier this offseason that they would consider signing Puig if the price was low (this was before most of their free agent signings). Puig could support Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the middle of the lineup. The AL East has some really talented pitching staffs, and it’s crucial a the team’s success to be able to break through.
I think it may be a better move for the Blue Jays to try and sign an impact center fielder and some veteran talent to support the younger players. And while Puig would certainly help them, I don’t think it would be enough to give the Blue Jays a big enough push this season. With Puig’s numbers trending downward, I don’t think signing him for several years would make sense for a team that is still rebuilding.
So Which AL East Team is Most Likely to Sign Yasiel Puig?
I think the Yankees might be the best fit for Puig right now. They can certainly afford him, and can use his experience, consistency and defense to support the team. They also can’t seem to stop getting injured, so having as much depth as possible seems like a pretty good way to go.