Los Angeles Dodgers: Five Moves for the 2017 Season

What to do with Yasiel Puig?

For a time, it appeared as though Yasiel Puig had worn out his welcome with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had gone from one of the more exciting players in the game to a distraction. His production had dropped each season, and questions about Puig as a teammate, as well as his effort, began to circulate.

When he was banished to AAA in August, along with the revelation that he was offered to the Milwaukee Brewers for Ryan Braun, those whispered rumors became a shout. It was no longer a matter of if Puig would be traded, but when. His time in Los Angeles appeared likely to come to an end once the season ended and trades could begin once more.

Then, something interesting happened. Puig reinvented himself in the minors. After his videos showing his teammates partying surfaced, Puig dedicated to becoming a better teammate. He put in the work that the Dodgers desired, and tried to rehabilitate his image.

That turnaround led to a return to the Majors in September. During that time, he appeared to be a vastly different player, producing a .281/.338/.561 batting line with four home runs and four doubles in 57 at bats. He looked closer to the player that the Dodgers had in 2013 and 2014, as opposed to the malcontent of the past two years.

Now, the Los Angeles Dodgers need to determine if whether or not that turnaround in attitude and production was more than just a blip on the radar. If they feel that Puig is ready to be more mature, and a model teammate, he may have played his way back into their future.