For anyone still holding out hope that the Cleveland Indians will bring back Yasiel Puig it might be time to move on. The rumored addition of Domingo Santana combined with the new-look Franmil Reyes seems to have ended any possibility of a Puig reunion in Cleveland.
Earlier this offseason it was rumored that Yasiel Puig wanted a multi-year deal worth around $15 million per season. Obviously no one has come close to the contract he was seeking as he is still a free agent. This is the complete opposite of a deal that Cleveland would make with someone of his age. Puig is 29 years old and is relatively inconsistent at the plate. There are moments when he performs well above his normal level. There are just not frequent enough to warrant Cleveland giving him the type of deal he is looking for.
Cleveland isn’t the only team that has passed on Yasiel Puig this offseason. San Francisco did have interest, but opted to sign Billy Hamilton and Hunter Pence instead. These signings by the Giants instead of Puig should give everyone an idea of the perception of the man nicknamed Wild Horse and how he is valued.
Defensively Yasiel Puig is still fantastic. Puig has an absolute cannon for an arm and makes baserunners think twice about taking an extra-base. Puig would clearly be the best defensive outfield in Cleveland. That alone is not enough as Cleveland needs offense from their outfield.
Unless something catastrophic happens in the Indians outfield or he is willing to lessen his contract demands in years and salary, Yasiel Puig will be playing elsewhere in 2020.
