The mercurial Yasiel Puig was demoted to the minors yesterday after the Dodgers unsuccessful attempts to trade him. We all know the narrative, he splashed in the scene a few years back with the moniker “The Wild Horse.” His attitude left a lot to be desired and his OPS during the last few seasons has sunk like the Titanic.
A story was reported that he stormed off when hearing the news of his demotion, which turned out to be false.
I feel this was a PR stunt to put Yasiel Puig in bad light. A few years back a book titled “The Best Team Money Can Buy: The Los Angeles Dodgers Wild Struggle to Build a Baseball Powerhouse,” by Molly Knight basically bashed Puig and detailed some of his run ins with teammates. In my opinion, this season he seemed to have turned a corner although his hamstrings didn’t. I think he needed more time to adjust to American culture and also he needed more developing of his MLB skillset.
These are the current outfielders on the Dodgers. Newly acquired Josh Reddick, Andrew Toles, Scott Van Slyke, Kike Hernandez, Joc Pederson, Howie Kendrick, Trayce Thompson, and Andre Ethier. Howie Kendrick, Kike Hernandez, and Scott Van Slyke are versatile because they can also play the infield. Trayce Thompson and Andre Ethier are currently on the DL.
Andrew Toles is an Andrew Friedman guy and he brings the speed dimension to the club. I feel as though Howie Kendrick and Chase Utley should platoon at 2nd. The old lefty/righty thing. Scott Van Slyke could give Adrian Gonzalez a spell once in a while. Kike Hernandez could give Justin Turner and Corey Seager a spell from time to time.
I feel the best defensive outfield is Josh Reddick, Joc Pederson, and Yasiel Puig who is no longer on the club. I also feel that Puig is a better hitter then some of the outfield options I have mentioned. Puig has been hitting well since he came off the DL recently. It’s even more frustrating that a front office with that attitude and analytical bent has continued to indict Puig during a 30-game stretch that he’s been hitting .301/.383/.430.
I am not a person filled with Puig superlatives. I just think he is better then some of the other options. If the Dodgers wanted to work on his craft, they should’ve sent him to the minors a long time ago. I hope he can come back to the Dodgers an d contribute down the stretch after he has worked on his game.Yasiel Puig is a force of nature who puts people in the seats and keeps you entertained to see what he will do next. His teammates never gravitated to him. I think in the end that was his downfall.
Yasiel Puig does have one person in his corner and that is Dodger CEO Mark Walter.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-puig-walter-20160729-snap-story.html
The backing of Mark Walter might prove to be the life vest that Puig needs. I sure hope so. Because like Mark Walter I do believe he has a ton of Talent. Also by the way Josh Reddick and Justin Turner are free agents at the end of the year. So we might need him.
James Moya
Hi I’m James Moya. I am an avid Dodgers fan. I graduated Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelors in Communications. I used to freelance at the San Bernardino Sun. I’m excited about this opportunity to write for LA Dodger Report to gain experience. I’m a straight shooter on my opinions and I hope to get some good conversations going. My dream has always been to report on the Dodgers because Baseball is the National Past-time. I hope you enjoy the ride with me.
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I’d trade half that outfield you mentioned for the services of the sports psychologist that could get through to Puig.
They need Van Slyke to platoon with Reddick.
Van Slyke used to be good but no more.
Maybe you’re right. Still hitting about 100 points higher vs LHP than Josh, though.
Wondering
I agree Scott hasn’t been that great in the last couple of years.
I was begining to think that Scott could only hit that one DBack pitcher well.
Looks like Puig and Tole can commiserate together at AAA.
Puig: “What’d you do to get sent down?”
Toles: “I hit .316 in July.”
Puig: “That’s tough. Is Hernandez still on the team?”
ha!
Snider
I wish we could find out how well Toles hit lefties, in the minor system, on the way up to the majors.
Because not all lefthand hitters, can’t hit lefties.
And Toles was doing a good job, and was hitting 300 plus on the way up.
And that is a better average, then most of the players, who play in the outfield.
I”m still stunned when I see Turner’s bad numbers vs. lefties. I do feel he’ll turn that around.
Let’s hope!
Turner’s overall numbers are so good I don’t even care if he don’t hit lefties. If it bothers the manager, he can always sit him out that game. Many times the replacement for platoon players is hitting less than the guy he’s replacing, even if he swings from the correct side. Senseless!!
Bobby:
When is he going to turn it around? 860+ games lifetime and he’s hitting FIFTY points higher Vs RHP than LHP(.298-.248).
If he has to be in the lineup vs LHP then for crying out loud GET HIM OUT of #3 hole further DOWN in the lineup.
Problem is only two hitters have any luck vs LHP- Howie and SVS
What is SVS doing against lefties this year?
true, but isn’t the disparity a lot bigger this year? I meant this year he’ll get back to his ‘norm’ this year
Richie
I think Turner did hit leftie pitchers well, the first year he was with the Dodgers.
I saw someone say that it is Turner’s batting stance, that makes it hard for Turner to hit lefties.
I just don’t remember who said that, but it must of been Hairson, or Nomar.
But I think it is time for Roberts to play his best team against both lefties and righties.
He should just let the regular line up, get consistent at bats, whether a rightie or a leftie pitcher, is pitching.
I know some of leftie players, in the regular line up, don’t have good numbers, against lefties, but these part time players, just don’t get enough consistent at bats, to really do much.
And I know Utley doesn’t have a good batting average against lefties, but I have seen him get some really good clutch hits, against leftie relievers this year.
And it has happened quite a bit.
The players who are playing the most, and getting the most at bats, should not sit against leftie pitchers anymore.
Because this platoon line up that Roberts puts out there, is the worse offense in all of baseball!
He needs to end this terrible experiment right now.
He should play the same line up everyday, and give players days off, by the part time players, but don’t do it all at once.
Just give one regular a day off, not all of them at once.
Richie
I know Turner isn’t good against lefties, but he was responsible for the runs that were scored.
I just think that Roberts should stay with the same set line up, because the platoon is a total failure.
And the team getting more at bats, would be getting more consistent at bats.
And they will probably do better then the team, with partly part time players.
Because the platoon team, is last an offense, in all of baseball.
And really like you said, only Howie and Scott, seem to hit lefties consistently.
So Roberts should stop sending this terrible platoon team out there.
Hope?
There’s that word again.
Get him out of there – we can’t continuously try to win when trying to come back from 6 runs down.
welcome to the Dodgers Fields – another Chavez beginning (like yesterday)?
If we lose this today, we’ll only be 5 up on Colorado
Well at least the giants lost. go phills!
Not yet…tied in the 12th well the Phils finally put it away, so we lose no ground.,
Pitiful performance……2nd time Stewart has got lit up….can anybody say Archer….Puig DFA’d this afternoon…..10 days to trade release, or demote…he will be put on waivers to gauge interest……By the way…Giants tied with Phillies in the 12th
where did you read that Puig was designated for assignment – essentially cut from the team? I have checked out all of the sites I know about and read that he was optioned – not cut
Dodger rick
I don’t know we’re Michael got his info from, but he might be just guessing, on what he has read, and heard.
I have heard from almost every sports broadcaster on the MLB Channel, that Puig will never be a Dodger again.
With the way that Roberts goes out of his way, for all of his players, and how he has went out of the way for Puig, Puig must have done something really wrong, to have this happen.
We are just not hearing everything that Puig has done.
Because like I said, all of the sports writers and broadcasters I have heard talk about Puig, say that Puig is not going to be a Dodger again.
And Michael might be hearing and reading the same thing, that I have about Puig.
Michael is just making an educated guess about Puig probably.
I still like Stewart and hope he starts again in 5 days.
Michael
I hope this means, that you made it home safely.
Michael
And you are just talking about the starting pitching with Archer.
The front office did even worse with the bullpen.
All they did, was bring that one pitcher, that was traded for Bolsinger.
And if the Bluejay’s would trade this reliever for Bolsinger, you know that this bullpen pitcher, is not going to help the bullpen much.
Bolsinger is in AAA, and that is where this new relief pitcher should be!
The Bluejay’s wouldn’t trade a good bullpen arm, while they are in a pennant race, and especially for Bolsinger.
And I did forget about that other pitcher they got for the pen, that pitched last night.
But he pitched just as well, as this other new relief pitcher pitched yesterday, and his performance, was pretty terrible.
This front office, didn’t get a decent pitcher to help this pen, and they probably already knew that Libertore and Coleman, we’re going on the DL.
Like I said above, there were good pitchers out there, that could help our pen, but most of these arms were gone, once this front office had finally made a move.
The best move for this front office, is always the cheapest move, and that is not always this best move.
Quanity might be ok with unproven prospects, to just get the cream of the crop.
But quality far out matches quanity when it comes to big league players and pitchers.
The almost total collaspe of the starting rotation, was predictable, and is all on this front office.
As well as the bullpen’s collaspe, that is now happening.
The front office brought starting pitchers to the starting rotation, that can’t pitch deep into games.
And after they tried to get Chapman, they did little to strengthen the bullpen, to help with the starting pitchers, that they signed.
Once again, they went the cheap way, and brought the best discount pitchers they could find, to fill the bullpen.
And they went with the rest of the bullpen, that was already here, to complete the bullpen.
And these were the same relief pitchers, that had not been very affective for the Dodgers, in the last past few years.
In fact, the Dodgers bullpen had been one of the biggest problems for Dodgers, in the last few years.
And a big problem, for the Dodgers, in the post season.
Michael
I wish you could be at the game today, because they did well when you went to see them.
SvS , Ellis, got to go , our starting line up could have been
Hendrix/Utley
Seager
Turner
AGON
Braun
Luqurie/Grandal
Peterson
Puig
Pitchers spot
2,3,4 starters ,moore,,sanders,and that White Sox kid , any order you like , kazmir #5,
SvS , Ellis, got to go , our starting line up could have been
Hendrix/Utley
Seager
Turner
AGON
Braun
Luqurie/Grandal
Peterson
Puig/Riddick
Pitchers spot
2,3,4 starters ,moore,,sanders,and that White Sox kid , any order you like , kazmir #5,