MLB: The Top Ten Biggest Cuban Busts

3) Yasiel Puig Seven Years, $42 million

The Dodgers signed Yasiel Puig to a seven-year, $42 million contract in June 2012. The sentiment throughout most of baseball was surprise if not shock. Puig had not played in a year at the time of his signing.

Puig crushed minor league pitching in 2012. He hit .354 five home runs and 15 RBIs in 23 games. He had a slash of .442/.634/1.076.

He began the 2013 season with the AA Chattanooga Lookouts. Puig was recalled on June 3 after hitting .313 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs in 40 games.

Puig had what was possibly the greatest first month of an MLB career. He hit .436 with seven home runs. 16 RBIs and four stolen bases in June. That incredible performance earned him the player of the month for June.

He followed that up with solid a July and August. At the end of August. Puig was hitting .349 with 13 home runs,31 RBIs and had  ten stolen bases.

Puig somewhat struggled in September. From September 1 through the end of the season, he hit just .213. He was able to maintain his power with six home runs and drove in 13.

The Dodgers finished 92-70 and won the NL West. Puig scorched Atlanta in a four-game series win by the Dodgers in the NLDS. He hit .471 and scored five runs. The Cardinals were able to control Puig as they beat the Dodgers in a six game NLCS series win.

The problems with Puig go back a few years. His antics wore thin first with his teammates and the Dodgers coaching staff and now the front office. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan wrote about the book “The Best Team Money Can Buy” that was a look at the climate of the Dodgers Clubhouse by ESPN’s Molly Knight.

The Dodgers have been to the postseason in each of Puig’s first three seasons. They are in the race for a fourth straight season. He reported to the Dodgers AAA team in Oklahoma City and met with reporters on August 12. Jon Heyman reported Puig is unlikely to return to the majors this season.

He has shown he can still rake. Puig has been tearing up AAA pitching since rejoining Oklahoma City. He is hitting .419 with three home runs and 11 RBIs with OKC this season.

The Dodgers sent Puig down after acquiring Josh Reddick from the A’s at the trade deadline. He will get another chance, whether it’s with the Dodgers or another team will be determined in the offseason,

An anonymous teammate said in the “The Best Team Money Can Buy” that he is a top three or four talent.

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