It appears that Yasiel Puig is saying goodbye to Cleveland. Puig posted a thank you to Cleveland, the Indians and their fans.
Yasiel Puig may be departing in free agency. This is hardly a surprise. Most considered Puig to be a rental bat only and his departure inevitable. Puig did take the time to thank the Indians on social media.
The overall tone of the post seems like a goodbye. With lines such as “The love that I feel from my fans from all over is something that I will always be eternally grateful for” and “you will always be a part of me”. This certainly points towards the direction of Puig wearing a different uniform next season.
There is one part that does provide hope for a return to the Indians. Yasiel Puig says “our Tribe”. This could be looking too much into something that is in reality nothing, but it is worth noting.
Puig has stated he would like to remain with the Indians. Providing further hope that the mention of “our Tribe” has some merit.
Puig explicitly mentions that he loved playing with some of the Tribe’s best players. Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Franmil Reyes and Carlos Santana. Puig also mentions that he leaves whether or not he returns up to his agent. This is not necessarily a good sign for those hoping he returns. The Indians are not in the business of paying top dollar for free agents and Puig should garner interest from several clubs in need of an outfielder.
Yasiel Puig slashed .297/.377/.423 with an OPS of .800 with 15 doubles, two home runs, one triple and 23 RBI’s in 49 games with the Indians. This was an improvement in some areas and a bit of a dip in others compared to his 100 games in Cincinnati.
If Cleveland somehow is able to re-sign Yasiel Puig this offseason and will help provide some stability to the outfield. An issue that the Indians dealt with all season long and is mentioned in the Indians end of season podcast.
