Dodgers Considering Yasiel Puig Trade Ahead of Deadline

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Los Angeles Dodgers are open to trading 25-year-old Yasiel Puig. Injury plagued through most of the 2015 season, the speculation comes just as the numbers of the controversial outfielder have begun to rebound since being activated from the DL in late June.

With easily the highest payroll in MLB—the Dodgers are $24 million ahead of the Yankees at No. 2 and $44 million ahead of the Red Sox at No. 3—at 52-42 the injury-depleted Dodgers are currently 5.5 games back on the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. There’s still time to right the ship, but they have a number of holes to fill.

Just how motivated they are to move Puig is unclear at this point. With his numbers suddenly on the upswing and the personality problems that surrounded him earlier in his career seemingly on the downswing, the absence of any major pressing issues forcing their hand will provide the team with a very significant advantage in any negotiations.

Rosenthal rightly notes the most immediate needs in Los Angeles are a left-handed reliever and/or an offensively productive outfielder who can anchor what has become a revolving door of starters. This season the Dodgers have started six different players at left and right field, and five more at center.

Any team interested in acquiring the services of Puig will have to be willing to pay a high price to the Dodgers, who are looking to sell high. That means gambling on the long-term potential of a boom or bust wildcard, and giving up one or more proven commodities in the short-term.