Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Recently, Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles published an article in which he proposed something that few fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers would even think possible after the 2013 season: trading Yasiel Puig.
That proposal went on to say that the Dodgers should consider trading their young superstar, who just completed Year One in the Major Leagues, as his value may never be higher than it is at this point in time. There is some logic there, and Saxon does acknowledge the fact that the probability of any Puig trade is like zero at this point, unless the Dodgers are blown away with an absurd offer.
That’s the important thing to acknowledge here quickly: a Puig trade isn’t going to happen. That doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it, though. Let’s face it, when it comes to Major League Baseball, there isn’t a single player that is safe from trade rumors, and that includes budding superstars who just completed their first full season at the Major League level.
Yasiel Puig didn’t take long to establish himself as one of the more notable players anywhere in the game. An outstanding athlete, Puig has demonstrated five tool ability, while at the same time managing to become incredibly polarizing due to the attitude that he carries around with him.
Read Saxon’s article. There are plenty of valid points to be made. He points out that Giancarlo Stanton could be had in such a trade, or the Dodgers could utilize Puig to acquire some young pitching. Joc Pederson is ready to be called up, in addition to the three veteran outfielders the Dodgers already employ: Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp. They can afford to make the move from a personnel standpoint.
Again, when it comes down to it, there’s virtually no way this happens this winter. Puig is coming off of an excellent first year, and he’s a player that is an absolute lock to sell tickets. At the same time, though, there is a logical argument to be made in favor of trading him. His game may not age particularly well, and the Dodgers have the flexibility to move him in order to upgrade in other areas.
At the end of the day, though, trading a budding young superstar probably isn’t the best course of action for any organization, regardless of how successful they were last year and how loaded their roster is. He’s not going anywhere.