The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Yasiel Puig on revocable waivers at the end of August. The Milwaukee Brewers eventually claimed the young outfielder and were willing to deal Ryan Braun in a trade. The two teams ran out of time but may revisit the trade in the offseason.
When the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-fielder Josh Reddick at the trade deadline, it signaled the end of Yasiel Puig’s time in Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, the front office demoted Puig to Triple-A Oklahoma City on August 2nd.
Los Angeles’ front office indicated there was a chance for the young right fielder to return to the club, however, while Puig was showing signs of improvement in the minors, the front office placed him on revocable waivers.
It didn’t take long for a team to claim Puig. On September 2nd, the Milwaukee Brewers won the claim for the 25-year-old, according to Ken Rosenthal. Another report by Rosenthal showed that the Brewers were willing to send Ryan Braun to Los Angeles in exchange for Puig.
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As more details are revealed, different iterations of the trade are being reported. Brandon McCarthy was part of a package that would have shipped him, Puig, and a pair of prospects to Milwaukee, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
The only thing that seemed to have derailed the trade was time. The Dodgers and Brewers were minutes away from completing a transaction involving the superstars. However, executives from both clubs have vowed to revisit the trade this Winter, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Currently, the Dodgers owe Yasiel Puig $14 million between 2017 and 2018 after which he enters salary arbitration. When he burst into the majors, Puig finished his rookie season worth 4.1 wins above replacement. The following year, 2014, he ended the season worth 5.4 WAR. However, injuries have continuously sapped his production. Fangraphs projects Yasiel Puig to finish the season worth 2.1 wins above replacement.
Meanwhile, Ryan Braun is owed $72 million between 2017 and 2020 when his contract expires. The Dodgers would have a $15 million team option available for the 2021 season, but Braun will be entering his age-38 season. If he is still in Los Angeles by that time, it is unlikely the Dodgers would exercise their option and instead buy out his contract for $4 million..
At 32, Ryan Braun is hitting .309/.373/.541. Whereas at 25, Yasiel Puig is only hitting .261/.325/.410. Even in his shortened season in 2013, in 61 games, Braun hit .266/.324/.453.
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It is apparent that Milwaukee wants to clear the salary space and is willing to bet $14 million on Puig’s upside. The Dodgers have the financial flexibility to pay an aging Braun, even if he is not on the Dodgers roster for the remainder of his contract. It is unlikely either player will remain with their respective clubs by the end of this offseason.