January 31st, 2017 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka During last Saturday’s FanFest event at Dodger Stadium some interesting things occurred with oft-controversial Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig. First and foremost, he absolutely electrified the record FanFest crowd when he took off his shirt to show the audience that he was not overweight and in great shape (he is). He then broke into a dance that sent the crowd into a frenzy. If there had been an award for it, Yasiel Puig won FanFest 2017.
Just when you think you’ve had all you can take of Yasiel Puig, he goes out and does and says things that make you change your mind. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
But after his on-stage antics and after spending his assigned 50 minutes in the FanFest autograph booth, the 26-year-old Cienfuegos, Cuba native met with reporters away from the loud and energetic FanFest crowd for a brief interview. As if flipping a switch, the raucousness was gone, replaced by a quiet and sincere Yasiel Puig. A Puig who, in his own words and in English, owned up to his past indiscretions and insisted that everyone – the front office, his manager, his coaches, his teammates and the fans – will see a new and improved Yasiel Puig in 2017.
“I’m ready for spring training now,” Puig said, when asked if he is healthy. “I’m working here every day at Dodger Stadium – Monday through Saturday, a couple Saturdays – with (Dodgers strength and conditioning coach) Brandon (McDaniel), my coaches here, a couple teammates, Kenley (Jansen) (Justin) Turner, (Joc) Pederson and a couple more guys coming here every day.”
But with all that has transpired – good and bad – since being signed by the Dodgers to a seven-year/$42 million contract as an amateur free agent in 2012, is the “Wild Horse” (as Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully so dubbed him) surprised that he is still a Dodger?
“I’m not surprised [I’m] here. I want to play baseball here,” Puig said, in broken but very good English. “Whatever decision he (presumably Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman) wants to take is fine with me. I want to stay here, that was my job. I get ready for everything that’s coming.”
Puig’s answer this time was a bit different than one he gave only a week ago when he told reporters that he wants to play every day, either with the Dodgers or somewhere else. That somewhere else thing never came up on Saturday, suggesting that he has had conversations with the powers that be since, something that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts later confirmed, although there was no mention of Puig playing elsewhere by the Dodger skipper.
“I’ve talked to [Puig] numerous times this winter. That (Puig’s physical condition) was one of the first conversations we had,” Roberts said. “Yasiel’s always been in good shape. I think that naturally he’s just so dense with his body weight, that’s why he weighs so much. But he leaned out and he’s receptive to that and working with a nutritionist, having a chef, his mind – he’s in a great state of mind right now. Like I said before, if he’s logging 600 plate appearances, that’s a really good thing for all of us.”
Even though Puig still has two years remaining on his seven-year/$42 million contract, it’s to the point now where both he and his contract are very tradable in today’s market.
(Courtesy of baseballprospectus.com)
But it was the elephant-in-the-room question asked by Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett that should give Dodger fans hope and confidence that we will see a much-improved Yasiel Puig in 2017. The question was: What did you learn from last year’s experience, getting sent down and all that?, to which Puig not only answered with conviction, but took full responsibility for his past mistakes.
“It was not a good experience going to Triple-A. It was my fault going to Triple-A.” – Yasiel Puig
“It was not a good experience going to Triple-A. It was my fault going to Triple-A – coming in late, not going to the meetings on time to spend with my teammates, my coaches – and that was the reason, and I am 100 percent with the decision to want to send me down,” Puig said. “I did work with my hands and … whatever to play with my new teammates, with my new coaches. Everybody helped me a lot. That was the reason I was back in September. I [was] better at the plate, in the cages and with my teammates.”
While it remains to be seen if Puig version 2017 is indeed a better all around player and teammate, the mere fact that he owned up to his past indiscretions and the fact that this was the first time that he did an interview in English without the use of an interpreter (who was present) certainly suggests that we may see the best Yasiel Puig yet. And judging by Roberts’ “600 plate appearances” comment, we may see him often.
As for the English thing, Puig ended the interview by putting a smile on the faces of the gathered media:
“I don’t want to speak English because now everybody’s going to go to my locker for questions, that was the reason I cheated with my Spanish,” Puig said, drawing a laugh. “I come here to play baseball not to speak English. That was [what] my buddy (Juan) Uribe said [to do] every time.”
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As Yogi said, “It’s deja vu all over again.” Comments from and about Puig 11 months ago:
“I talked to [Roberts] and I am glad that he’s on board, because I believe that he will help me a lot to relate to everybody on the team,” Puig said
“We’re a different team when he’s playing and he’s on than when he’s not, even though we have depth and have other options in the outfield,” Zaidi said. “Yasiel Puig, when he is firing on all cylinders, there aren’t many players like him. We are excited about how everything is going both from a mental standpoint and from a physical standpoint.”
The Dodgers did ask Puig to lose some weight this offseason, not necessarily because he was fat, but they didn’t want him to be as muscle-bound as he was last season, believing that a rigid physique led to some of his soft-tissue injuries.
I think some of [Puig’s] comments kind of reflect that that you only have so much time in the big leagues, so much time in every organization, and every year is critical. I think that is part of the maturity process for young players is to get to that point and not feel like you’re leaving any opportunities on the table.”
Bottom line, it doesn’t appear that the Dodgers were able to get anything of value for Puig from other ML teams so we are stuck with him and hoping for the best.
Baseball is both a game and a business. Yasiel has always showed his game side. Nobody has more fun. It is the business side that has proven to be more of a challenge for Puig. He is only 26, so maybe this year he gets it and means it. If he does resurrect that 2013 and 2014 magic, then the RH bat issue might be resolved, and with his exceptional RF defense the Dodgers will be strong contenders. It takes both exceptional skill and hard work to succeed at the ML level. I am more naive than a skeptic, so I take him at his word that 2017 will be a new beginning for Yasiel Puig.
Not trying to argue, but did you take him at his word last year around this time? Very similar comments and hopes. Fool me once, shame on you (Puig and Dodgers), fool me twice shame on me. I hope for the best with Puig and glady eat crow at end of season if he proves me wrong. GO DODGERS!
I agree with you 100%. As I stated, I am probably more naive about this situation. I have often agreed with what Harold indicated below that Puig may indeed be over-rated. But unless Braun somehow is traded to LA, I have to hide my head in the sand and believe that Puig might just see the light this year.
We will have to see if this is the same old, same old. Certainly am willing to give the benefit of the doubt and hope for what everyone thinks Yasiel could do. I have always wondered if his skill set was over-rated. That is, if he is that five-tool player.
Since money talks I would think that Yasiel realizes he will be a free agent in 2020 and prime time for a baseball player is now. He will be approaching 30 in 2020. Soon contract time. Time to step up as they say.
Well, I’m all for giving Puig another chance. I hope he can be the player he was when he first came up, or even a facsimile of that player. Don’t forget he was being compared to the likes of Joe DiMaggio. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.
Yasiel doesn’t have to be great. Just good, and consistent with no distractions on or off the field. If he does so we could be witnessing a good young outfield in progress.
I believe Puig is a tremendous talent. I hope his demonstrated maturity is real and not a smoke screen. I’ve got to think the Dodgers are expecting great things from him this year. If they had significant doubts why would they let Josh Reddick move on?
A full season of Puig operating on all cylinders, Kershaw healthy, Forsythe giving us what we traded for, and Hill not blistering make us a far better team than we were last year.
Now if we can just stay healthy!!!
Dodgers were not going to re-sign Josh Reddick for a couple of reasons, first he hit LH and Dodgers are loaded with LH hitters, including top prospects Bellinger, Verdugo, and Calhoun AND he was abysmal during his time with Dodgers, both offensively and defensively.
Plus Reddick signed with the Astros – $13M a year for four years. I don’t think the Dodgers would have hugely overpaid for Josh in dollars or years with Verdugo and Bellinger in the pipeline.
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The Reddick trade was an absolute bust … perhaps Friedman and Zaidi’s worst to date. Even though they also got Rich Hill in the deal, it cost them Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes and Jharel Cotton, all three of whom will probably be pitching in the MLB this season.
As Harold noted, giving a mediocre (at best) left-handed-hitting 29-year-old right fielder with a career slash-line of .255/.316/.430 a four-year / $52 million contract is an absolute joke.
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I for one believe in Puig, and I realize that last year he didn’t live up to his words of the preseason. He knows that, his teammates shunned him for that, and his team had to discipline him for that. He got his wake up call, and he showed improved maturity and performance when he came up in September.
That said, he’s been doing a lot more community work (voluntary or not), he now has a second child (which can force a certain amount of maturing on anyone), and he has a lot to work and live for. I think he realized that he’s got to take responsibility for fitting in and working hard, something he sorta got by on by having Uribe and Kike’ around – but no more and much less reliance on them.
If he can keep to being a professional ballplayer, and improve his plate discipline, the team will welcome him with open arms. Winning helps a lot of issues. Heck, gotta give him credit for hitting cutoff men more reliably when he came back up too.