Although Yasiel Puig is only ten games into his tenure with the Cincinnati Reds, the team should consider an extension for the mercurial outfielder.
Over the past few years, there have not been many reasons to watch Cincinnati Reds baseball. They have finished below .500 in each of the past five years, with a subsequent drop in attendance. Since 2014, when the Reds drew just over 2.47 million fans, their attendance has dropped to just over 1.62 million in 2018.
Not only have the Reds been mediocre at best in that span, but they have also been fairly dull. Joey Votto is a great player, but he is not the type that will draw attention to himself on the field or excite the masses. In fact, since Johnny Cueto departed via trade in 2015, the Reds have not had that sort of player on the roster.
That is, until now. Yasiel Puig is the type of player that keeps eyeballs upon him at all times. From his licking of his bats and bat flips, to his cannon of an arm and occasional misadventures in the outfield, Puig is a one man highlight reel.
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Puig also brings a swagger to the Reds that had been missing. While it is easy to dismiss his actions during the benches clearing incident against the Pirates on Sunday as Puig being a hot head, he was sticking up for his teammates. The image of him standing there with his fist cocked and the entire Pirates team in front of him will be one of the more enduring images of the 2019 season.
It is not just the entertainment value that Puig provides that makes him valuable. He is a lifetime .277/.351/.475 batting line, hitting 108 homers and stealing 60 bases. Puig has also been a solid right fielder, saving 13 runs and using his excellent arm to lead the league with 10 outfield assists last season.
For a team looking to return to its former glory and make a sustained run at the postseason, a player like Puig could certainly help. At just 28 years old, he is just entering his prime, making him an even more attractive target. The Reds would also have time to find an agreement and to make certain that Puig is comfortable in Cincinnati, as he is not a free agent until 2020.
The Cincinnati Reds need to find pieces for their next run to contention. Yasiel Puig could be a key part of that future.