In mid-July Los Angeles Dodgers' chairman Mark Walter said he "wouldn't give up" on Yasiel Puig despite his struggles since returning from a hamstring injury in the beginning of June. Then trade rumors began to surface involving Puig's name, and what has followed is quite puzzling.
Over the weekend Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that sources close to the Dodgers said Puig was "assured" by team's "higher-ups" that he will not be traded before July 31. It was said Puig "took the extra step of inquiring about his status after hearing the rumors," but that might not be the case after all.
"Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has not been told by the club that he won't be traded," Ken Gurnick of MLB.com wrote over the weekend.
"Puig was not in the starting lineup Saturday night against the Mets, hours after an Internet report that he had been told by the club that he wouldn't be traded before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. A baseball source, however, said Puig was not guaranteed he wouldn't be traded.
"The speculation was the latest bit of drama involving Puig, again a focal point after a newly published book by Molly Knight, 'The Best Team Money Can Buy,' detailed past examples of Puig being a clubhouse distraction."
Check out Knight's Q&A with Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com from earlier this month.
Puig also said himself that he doesn't "have time to be asking about that."
Reports and rumors regarding Puig being a clubhouse distraction are nothing new, but this is the first time trade rumors involving the outfielder have seriously permeated the media. Although he's only 24 years old, it's been said there's "increased skepticism within the organization as to whether Puig's production will ever match his talent," Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times wrote.
His name has been floated around in trade rumors involving Cole Hamels, who the Dodgers are considered a top suitor for. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe addressed such speculation on Sunday.
"The Red Sox and A's made the Jon Lester-Yoenis Cespedes swap, and we wonder which teams will make a similar hitter-for-pitcher deal this season? How about Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig for Phillies lefty Cole Hamels?"
Puig has likely come up in these rumors because the Dodgers have made it known they will not be trading top prospects Corey Seager and Julio Urias. However, if the team wants to land a top starter, they're going to need to part ways with some premier talent, which is probably why Puig's name has been mentioned.
It's unknown if the Dodgers would include Puig in a deal for Hamels, considering the 24-year-old is under a bargain deal through 2019 while Hamels is a 31-year-old pitcher owed $77 million through 2018. Additionally, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported the Dodgers would be "very particular" in terms of seeking a formidable return for Puig.
"According to sources, the Dodgers will trade Puig only if they can obtain equivalent value - and it will be difficult to obtain equivalent value for a player who is 24, extremely talented and relatively inexpensive while under club control through 2019," he wrote.
"The Dodgers are looking to add, not add and subtract, sources say. The rumor I heard - Puig and two top prospects for Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto and closer Aroldis Chapman - would have amounted to addition and subtraction."
Rosenthal also mentioned a lot of teams are asking about Puig, which may put the Dodgers in a tough spot as they're seeking rotation and bullpen help and are unwilling to give up Seager or Urias to improve those areas of need.
Puig is a polarizing figure and he's constantly in the media spotlight, but the rumors and reports of his current standing with the Dodgers and as a trade candidate have never been of this magnitude. As a result, nothing can be ruled out until the clock strikes 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday.
"One week from today, Yasiel Puig may be somewhere other than Dodger Stadium," FOX Sports' Jon Morosi said last week. "Two teams that could be fits for him: the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. Both of them have the starting pitching depth the Dodgers are looking for."
