There has been a lot of chatter on the internet and on sports TV about whether the Dodgers should trade Yasiel Puig or not. First of all, Yasiel Puig is an amazing talent. The potential he has is off the charts. He can hit for power, he has speed, and his arm in right field may be unparalleled in baseball today. Unfortunately, baseball history is littered with players that never realized their potential.
He is one of the most analyzed players in the baseball, known almost as much for his dugout antics as well as his play on the field. Puig's is seen on Sportscenter making throws to nail a base runner trying to take the extra base and sulking in the dugout because he struck out a few innings later. One of Manager Don Mattingly's biggest jobs the past three seasons has been trying to keep Puig motivated to play at a high level every night and to keep his head in the game. It seems like Mattingly benches Puig for about a game a week to try to get his attention.
Puig was injured and missed over a month early this season and he has had a hard time getting his offensive game back on track. He is only batting .243 but his power has showed signs of coming around as of late, hitting his ninth homerun of the season against the Washington Nationals. His powerful right arm has been on display the past couple of weeks, throwing a runner out at second base from the right centerfield warning track and throwing a Pittsburgh Pirates runner out at second on a force play.
I don't know if the Dodgers had any serious inquiries about Puig before the trade deadline July 31st and the Dodgers announced the other day that they will not trade him this season. You hate to trade a talent like Puig has but at some point and time, his antics and attitude have got to be a detriment in the clubhouse.
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