The Los Angeles Dodgers are deep in debt. While this offseason they are scrambling to find a second baseman, third baseman, and a closer, they don’t have the ability to spend as much money as they want. After spending over one billion dollars on players alone from 2013-2016, their exemption from MLB debt rules expires in 2017.
The Dodgers are left with a conundrum. How do they shed enough payroll while still filling their needs? They have been linked to free agent closers Kenley Jansen, and if they can’t resign him, Aroldis Chapman. They have also said they want to bring back former Met Justin Turner, but he will be signing a serious contract this offseason. If they want to bring back these players, they need to trade away some of their big contracts.
Their biggest contract, Clayton Kershaw, isn’t going anywhere. Scott Kazmir, who is owed $32 million over the next two years, could certainly be on the move, but he doesn’t perk the Mets interest at all because the Mets should be pretty set with starting pitching barring injuries. Adrian Gonzalez is owed $43 million over the next two seasons, but again, the Mets wouldn’t want him as they have Lucas Duda for 2017, then potentially Dominic Smith for years to come.
Andre Ethier is owed $35 million over the next two seasons, so he could certainly be on the move as well. However, there is another Dodger outfielder that has not only been mentioned in many trade rumors, but I think is right up the Mets’ alley.
Why Trade For Him?
Yasiel Puig, 25, is owed about $17.5 million over the next two seasons, and is arbitration eligible in 2019 making for three years under team control. Now, I know what you’re thinking, so I’ll address the elephant in the room right up front. He has been described as many things, including dramatic, a punk, a prima donna, etc. It is easy for us to look in from the outside and make our own judgments, but I’d like to remind you all of something:
Those are exactly the kinds of words people were using to describe Yoenis Cespedes before he became a Met. However, since he came to Flushing, he has been one of the most beloved players by not only the fans, but his teammates and coaches as well. Of course, I do not know if this is the case with Puig, but judging by his frequent Tweets and interactions with the press, reports about his negative attitude could be greatly exaggerated.
Putting aside talks about his attitude, Puig is exactly the kind of player the Mets should be pursuing currently. They say they want a powerful right-handed outfielder, well, here he is. Not only can he hit, he is a great right fielder with a video game arm, earning the 2(-5) rating on his Strat-O-Matic card. He can also play a very good left or center field if needed, which certainly should perk Sandy Alderson’s interest a bit more.
Picture this for a second: In left field you have Yoenis Cespedes, in center field is Juan Lagares, and in right field is Yasiel Puig. Cespedes and Puig have two of the best arms in the Show, if not the best, and Lagares’ arm is well above average as well. Each of those three outfielders have recorded 15 assists in a season at least once. In addition to their arms, they all have great speed.
An outfield consisting of those three men would severely curtail the amount of extra base hits and sacrifice flies the Mets allow. With the Mets’ starting rotation supposedly healthy going into 2017, a strong defensive outfield would make them even better, and Cespedes/Lagares/Puig is as strong as it gets.
Puig hasn’t played a full season since 2014 due to injuries. He played in only 79 games in 2015 and 104 games in 2016. Last year, he hit .263/.323/.416 with 11 home runs and 45 RBIs. While those numbers can be interpreted as under-producing, we must all remember that he is still only 25 years old and still developing as a player. He has a lot more potential in his bat, and everyone knows that, because they’ve seen it.
After finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting in 2013 behind Jose Fernandez, he played in 148 games in 2014, slashing .296/.382/.480 with 16 home runs, 69 RBIs, 165 hits, nine triples, and 11 stolen bases. He made his first All Star team en route to finishing 19th in MVP voting (his teammate Clayton Kershaw would win it that season).
His potential is undeniable, and a move to New York City could benefit him the same way it did Yoenis Cespedes. After being traded to NY, Cespedes has seen an increase in almost all of his offensive statistics. He loves it here, and judging by how Puig interacts with the media, it seems he would too. If Cespedes were to return, he could take the young Puig under his wing.
The Mets also have something the Dodgers don’t: A plethora of real veteran leaders. They’ve got captain David Wright, Roberto Clemente Award-winning outfielder Curtis Granderson, as well as veterans Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes. The Dodgers had some veterans, including Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, and Chase Utley, but they didn’t seem to be the right mentors for Puig, while the Mets have veterans that could be.
What Would It Take?
Not that much at all, actually. As I mentioned earlier, the Dodgers quite literally do not have a second or third baseman. Furthermore, they quite literally have to shed contract obligations.
As much as I love him, the Dodgers would jump at an opportunity to acquire a player like Wilmer Flores, who can play both second and third base while being a solid presence in the lineup. He is projected to make $2-3 million through arbitration in 2017, and would be a much cheaper option for the Dodgers than trying to retain FA Justin Turner when they truly can not take on more big contracts.
Flores put up solid numbers in 2016, setting new career highs in batting average (.267), on-base percentage (.319), and slugging percentage while matching his career high in home runs (16) in 103 games. He was on track to easily beat more of his career highs before his season ended with a wrist injury.
His trade value is high right now, partly because of his progression as a hitter but also because of his prowess crushing left-handed pitchers. The Mets can afford to trade him because of their extensive infield depth. If the Mets trade Wilmer, they would have Lucas Duda at first, Neil Walker at second, Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop, David Wright at third, with Jose Reyes and T.J. Rivera as backup infielders.
The Dodgers could also be interested in acquiring Rivera or possibly Matt Reynolds, but I think they would mostly be interested in Flores.
The Dodgers outfield would be just fine without Puig, with Andrew Toles in left field, Joc Pederson in center, and Andre Ethier in right with Enrique Hernandez as their fourth outfielder. While the Dodgers would probably to prefer to trade Ethier, his age (34) and his remaining contract (2 years, $35 million) would make that difficult. Trading Puig just makes sense for them.
Long story short, after the Mets trade Jay Bruce, which they probably will, at least looking into acquiring Yasiel Puig might be a good idea.
