Welcome to Rumor Buy or Sell. The trade deadline is less than two weeks away now, so between now and then we'll pick apart the juiciest rumors and determine whether they pass the sniff test, or are just typical trade deadline noise.
Rumor: The Dodgers are "open to trading" outfielder Yasiel Puig, reports Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Would it make sense for (the Dodgers) to look for a better hitter at his position and more proficient outfielders in general? Of course it would. Which is why (Puig's) team, at the very least, is open to trading him, according to major-league sources.
Keep in mind Puig's name has been popping up in trade rumors for nearly three years now, so this isn't exactly coming out of nowhere.
Background: Four seasons ago Puig broke into the big leagues and was immediately an impact player on both sides of the ball. He mashed and he was an above-average defender in right field with a rocket arm. Was he erratic at times? Oh sure. But few players could match his electricity on the field.
Even though he is still only 25, Puig's performance has steadily declined the last few years, and he's also dealt with on again, off again hamstring problems this season and last. Check out his numbers:
| PA | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | SB | OPS+ | WAR | |
| 2013 | 432 | .319/.391/.534 | 19 | 11 | 159 | +4.9 |
| 2014 | 640 | .296/.382/.480 | 16 | 11 | 145 | +5.3 |
| 2015 | 311 | .255/.322/.436 | 11 | 3 | 110 | +1.1 |
| 2016 | 287 | .257/.321/.379 | 7 | 4 | 91 | +1.0 |
Not a great trend! Puig went from .305/.386/.502 (151 OPS+) and +10.1 WAR from 2013-14 to .256/.321/.409 (101 OPS+) and +2.1 WAR from 2015-16. Surely the nagging hamstring issues have been a factor in his declining production, but that's sort of the problem. The Dodgers can't feel too confident in Puig staying on the field and producing right now.
The Dodgers are very short on outfielders at the moment. They started journeyman utility man Zach Walters in right field Monday night, and their primary left fielder this season has been career second baseman Howie Kendrick. Trayce Thompson (back) just joined Andre Ethier (leg) and Joc Pederson (shoulder) on the DL, thinning out the team's outfield crop. (Pederson is expected back Tuesday.)
Given their current outfield situation and the fact they don't have any high-end outfield prospects close to the big leagues, trading Puig doesn't seem like a great idea. No offense to Walters, but a contending team shouldn't be starting him in right field regularly. The Dodgers need to add outfielders. Not subtract them, especially one as talented as Puig.
At the same time, Puig's value is dropping and the Dodgers may want to cash him in as a trade chip now before it drops any more. New manager Dave Roberts seems to have been able to minimize the distractions (late to batting practice, etc.) though you wonder how long that will last. Is Puig just being on his best behavior for the new skipper? There's no doubt he's rubbed people the wrong way over the years, both inside and outside the organization.
Buy or Sell: I'm buying this and not just in the "every team is open to trading any player for the right package" way. I think there's some belief Puig peaked early and the Dodgers are frustrated with his lack of adjustments. He's still very prone to chasing out of the zone -- Puig has improved his chase rate since his rookie season but it's still high, well above the league average (30.3 percent vs. 33.6 percent) -- and defensive laps are becoming more frequent. Heck, a few weeks back Vin Scully openly wondered if Puig needed to get his eyes checked after a misplay in right.
Even with his production slipping, the Dodgers can market Puig as a 25-year-old who's shown he can play at an elite level when healthy. He's relatively cheap too, with another $20 million or so coming to him through 2018 plus another year of team control as an arbitration-eligible player in 2019. Puig was an MVP candidate from 2013-14 and here's a chance to get his age 25-28 seasons. That's the sales pitch right there.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman likes to make depth trades. Rather than go for the one huge piece, he'd prefer three or four smaller pieces. He did it with the Rays and he continues to do it with the Dodgers. Puig could net a replacement outfielder and more, perhaps a pitcher and/or prospects. Is his trade value as high as it was a few years ago? No. But it might not get any higher than it is right now, which is why I'm buying this rumor.
