Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB hot stove: top trade target for each team

By Benjamin Chase

SEATTLE, WA - JULY 30: James Paxton #65 of the Seattle Mariners waits to deliver the pitch in the second inning against the Houston Astros at Safeco Field on July 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 2-0. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 30: James Paxton #65 of the Seattle Mariners waits to deliver the pitch in the second inning against the Houston Astros at Safeco Field on July 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 2-0. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /
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MLB hot stove
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting a three run home run during the sixth inning of game four of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox on October 27, 2018 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers made their second straight World Series on the strength of their impressive roster depth, and that depth gives them plenty of options in the trade market. However, the top choice with the organization was really an easy one.

When he first arrived on the scene, there were plenty of Yasiel Puig detractors. His brash style on the field, along with some unfortunate incidents off of it, turned off fans and seemed to turn multiple media members against him (some of whom still haven’t dropped that edge, but that’s a whole other story!).

Puig initially let his play on the field do the talking, and it spoke plenty loud for him, as he made the All-Star game in his second season and combined in his first two seasons in the league to hit .305/.386/.502 with 35 home runs and 22 steals over 252 games, sporting a cool 151 OPS+. The game simply isn’t supposed to come that easy.

It didn’t. Puig struggled through two injury-riddled seasons in 2015 and 2016 that were spotted with run-ins with his manager and front office persons with the Dodgers. However, something changed in the 2016-2017 offseason.

Puig entered the 2017 season as a man on a mission, playing his trademark elite defense and suddenly becoming the guy who was still exuberant on the field, but he was also celebrating his teammates and began to change his clubhouse narrative. His on-field performance was certainly improved as well, as he clubbed 51 home runs and stole 30 bases over the past two seasons.

The Dodgers currently have a plethora of outfield depth as it is, and top prospect Alex Verdugo is ready in the minor leagues for a major league look with a very similar profile to Puig. Add in Puig’s impending free agency after the 2019 season and the Dodgers’ desire to trim some cash, and it’s no surprise that Puig has been a frequent name mentioned around the MLB hot stove thus far.

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