The Los Angeles Dodgers have plenty of outfielders on their roster, and Yasiel Puig wants to make sure that he is cemented into a starting role on the club in 2017.
We all know the story of Yasiel Puig in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform by now: He burst onto the scene in 2013 as a rookie, finishing second in ROY voting behind Jose Fernandez. Since then his production has gone down each year while injuries have taken their toll the past two seasons. According to an article by Ken Gurnick on MLB.com, Puig “wants to be a starter again, whether it’s here or somewhere else.”
The location of these comments could prove to be another one of those “Puig distractions” (pictured below) but for the time being, let’s believe the guy.
Come visit me! #PuigYourBarista pic.twitter.com/bZMVI1unrz
— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) January 23, 2017
Gurnick notes that Puig is conditioning a leaner body in order to avoid some of the injuries that have plagued him in the past and now has a personal chef that is cooking him healthier meals. The personal chef part can be taken with a grain of salt, as Billy Butler had one of his own last offseason and it didn’t necessarily do a whole lot for him besides getting him released by the A’s.
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If Puig has the right mindset, which he may after being sent to the minor leagues and returning to a crowded outfield situation–and in turn a platoon role–then he certainly has the tools to turn this party bus around. He has the personality to be a superstar in this league, but the main thing for him will be showcasing that personality when he is producing, instead of at all times.
With Joc Pederson locked in as the Dodger centerfielder, that leaves Puig and five others to compete for playing time for two positions. If Puig produces and shows that he has matured in spring training, we could see a trade of some of the extra outfielders to clear some room for a revitalized Puig.
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If he struggles and is up to his same old shenanigans, the Dodgers would be wise to get anything they can for the 26 year old while they still can. He’ll provide production in spurts, but he has been unreliable, and with this Dodgers team looking to compete once again in 2017, they’ll need everyone to be focused on the goal at hand–returning to the World Series.