Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Josh Reddick, RF
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, LF
Brandon McCarthy, P
By Jon Weisman
Yasiel Puig has been sent to the minors, along with Ross Stripling, to make room on the 25-man roster for newly acquired outfielder Josh Reddick and reliever Jesse Chavez.
Rich Hill remains on the disabled list, which he is eligible to return from Thursday if he’s ready. (Technically, Hill is now the 23rd Dodger on the disabled list this year, setting a National League record.) Relief pitcher Josh Fields will also report to the minors.
The Dodgers are expected to comment later today about Puig, who is being optioned to the minors (as opposed to going on a rehab assignment) for the first time since March 26, 2013, when the team sent him to Double-A Chattanooga after his first Spring Training.
Puig’s transaction history appears below (click to enlarge):
Puig has a .320 on-base percentage, .386 slugging percentage and .706 OPS this season for Los Angeles, with a .309 weighted on-base average, 95 weighted runs created and 0.5 wins above replacement, according to Fangraphs. Since returning from the disabled list June 21, Puig has a .390 OBP while slugging .440. On July 31, he made his first start since July 20 and went 3 for 5 with two doubles.
Stripling pitched well out of the bullpen in his most recent stint for the Dodgers (8 2/3 innings, eight baserunners, 2.08 ERA), including a 51-pitch emergency appearance July 31.
Reddick, who was wearing No. 22 with Oakland, will not in fact take Clayton Kershaw’s number, as Brett Anderson suggested. He will wear No. 11, while Chavez will wear No. 58.
throwdeuce
Just a dumb move, I’ve tried to be supportive of this FO, but they really blew it IMO. The best that can happen now is if someone picks him off waivers and is willing to take his contract.
There’s no way SVS, Toles, Kike and Taylor are better than he is to be on the 25 man. So all this leads to is a displinary action cover up.
Ron Babcock (@ronniebsurf)
That’s how our small market front office rolls!! They can’t manage a wild horse so they run with lesser quality ponies. Just tell the fans the truth for once!
paulgarzajr
Puig remains an enigma. How can someone with so much talent achieve such modest results? I am not sorry to see him go. Like most Dodger fans, he has been a cause of frustration. Maybe sometime in the minors will be just what he needs. Since nobody wants to touch him, it appears he will back in September and around next year in the event that he manages to use his talents more productively.
Roger Miller
Puig’s demotion isn’t dumping him, so maybe this might wake him up to some reality after being handled with kid gloves these last few years. As to the trades, not a big fan. Hill is 36 years old, a frequent DL visitor, and not a true frontline starter. The small samples of success from this year and last may be misleading as to his true value. Reddick is a modest power OFer with weak defense although his numbers are better than Puig’s. Meanwhile, giving up both Montas and Holmes was pretty steep and takes away some of the Dodgers’ pitching depth for the future. It makes us more dependant on outside acquisitions to fill out the staff. So far with the exception of Maeda those haven’t been raging successes (McCarthy, Anderson, Wood, Kazmir, Norris),
Randy Jensen
He is not on waivers he needs to get his fundamentals together, stop the mental mistakes. He was brought up out of desperation way too soon
irishgary
What talent?????? He has regressed since his rookie year. My guess is that they could find no one to take him in a trade. That says a lot.
Charlie Cherry
The mishandling of Puig’s development ranks on a par with the bungling of the TV deal. To Dodger management, stop running the Dodgers like a fantasy baseball team/ asset fund. Fans need a team they can see and players they can embrace.
Mark Hagerstrom
These moves and not moves suggest to me that the FO still believes that Puig can contribute much more to the team. Would gather that he could have been traded or kept on the 25 man, if the Dodgers were willing to concede that he is an average hitter with above average defensive skills not earning an outlandish salary.
Don Bright
Mark, I usually agree with you, but the FO created a situation with Puig that at best they’ll just get salary relieve for him if someone picks him up in August on a waiver deal. There’s no way he’ll play another game with the Dodgers ever again IMO. At worst, they’ll DFA him once he opts into arbitration, and make no mistake, as bad as he’s been this year, he’ll make more opting into arb then his guarantee 6.5M next year. His gamble by opting in, his his 13M guarantee over next 2 years, he’ll have to show something next year to make up what he’ll leave on table there. Not sure how it’ll work if they DFA him and salary if he opts in however. The FO deserves every bit of criticism they are getting with this move, Puig is looking like the good guy here.