Puig has signed a contract with El Aguila de Veracruz of the Mexican League, Francys Romero of MLB.com reports.
It's a return to where Puig played in 2021. The 33-year-old last appeared in the major leagues in 2019 and has since played in the Dominican Winter League, Venezuelan Winter League and Korea Baseball Organization, in addition to the Mexican League.
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Yasiel Puig: Headed to KBO
Rotowire
Puig agreed Wednesday with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization on a one-year, $1 million contract, Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports.
After a positive COVID-19 test nixed his deal with Atlanta for the pandemic-truncated 2020 campaign, Puig failed to land a major-league contract in 2021 before he ultimately found work with Veracruz in the Mexican League. Though he faced off against a lower quality of competition, Puig was productive in Mexico, slashing .312/.409/.517 across 247 plate appearances. He'll now head to Korea on a maximum deal for a first-year player in the league, presumably hoping that a strong showing with the Heroes will allow him to generate renewed interest from MLB teams heading into 2023.
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Yasiel Puig: Bound for Mexico
Rotowire
Puig signed with Veracruz of the Mexican League on Tuesday, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports.
Puig failed to find a major-league club last season, though he did appear close to a deal with Atlanta at one point before a positive COVID-10 test scrapped those plans. He again failed to find a deal this offseason, so he'll head to Mexico instead. He's only 30 years old, so it's certainly possible he finds his way back to the MLB level eventually, but there's no particular reason to believe that will happen anytime soon.
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Yasiel Puig: Playing in DWL
Rotowire
Puig agreed to a contract Saturday with Dominican Winter League club Tores del Este, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
Puig ended up sitting out the entire 2020 campaign after the contract he agreed to with the Braves in late July fell through following his positive test for COVID-19. The outfielder looks to be healthy again now that he's competing in the Dominican Republic, where he'll presumably be aiming to showcase himself to MLB teams this winter. The 29-year-old slashed .267/.327/.458 with 24 home runs and 19 stolen bases in his last full season in the majors in 2019.
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Yasiel Puig: Braves deal called off
Rotowire
Puig's reported deal with the Braves has been scrapped after the outfielder tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
The reported contract between the two sides had apparently never been formally agreed to and is now off the table, as Puig evidently won't be ready to play early enough for Atlanta to be interested. There's certainly still a chance he signs somewhere this season, though the fact that he hasn't been on a field even in a practice capacity since last September means it may take some time for him to get in game shape once he eventually clears league protocols by testing negative for the virus twice. More opportunities for the likes of Austin Riley, Adam Duvall and Johan Camargo should be available in Atlanta now that Puig isn't joining the team.
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Braves' Yasiel Puig: Tests positive for COVID-19
Rotowire
Puig revealed on his personal Twitter page Friday that he'd tested positive for COVID-19.
Puig is reportedly asymptomatic, but he'll nevertheless be forced to quarantine until passing MLB protocols, which include testing negative for the virus twice. The outfielder was already going to have a tough time getting ready by Opening Day, as he only just signed a contract with the Braves on Tuesday, but now he'll almost certainly miss time to start the year. Even when he clears league protocols, the fact that he's had zero practice time since last September is sure to have an effect early in the year. His absence likely means more at-bats or Adam Duvall, though Johan Camargo could also benefit if Austin Riley spends more time in left field.
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Braves' Yasiel Puig: Signs with Braves
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Puig signed with the Braves on Tuesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The terms of the deal have not yet been made public. It's also unclear whether Puig will be ready to go at the start of the season, as Opening Day is just over a week away and he'll likely have to sit out a few more days to go through intake testing protocols. Once he eventually arrives, he'll be a key piece for a strong Braves lineup, taking the spot that had been reserved for Nick Markakis, who elected to opt out of the season.
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Yasiel Puig: Draws interest from Orioles
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Puig has drawn interest from the Orioles, who have made at least one contract offer, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The Orioles do have holes in the outfield (and in most other areas of their roster), especially with Trey Mancini out for the year while undergoing treatment for colon cancer. Baltimore is a natural fit for Puig in that sense, though it's not entirely clear why they'd want to add a significant amount to their payroll in a season in which they aren't expected to be close to competitive. If Puig does wind up with the Orioles, he'll get to play half his games in one of the more hitter-friendly parks in the league, but he may not be ready to go by Opening Day, which is less than two weeks away.
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Yasiel Puig: Giants still interested
Rotowire
The Giants are among the teams expected to be in the mix to sign Puig when MLB lifts its freeze on transactions Friday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.
Rumors previously surfaced in April that the outfielder-needy Giants were interested in bringing Puig aboard, so it's no surprise the team intends to reach out to the 29-year-old now that MLB training camps are scheduled to reopen next week. Puig may not be in line for a multi-year contract after struggling to find a team willing to meet his asking price in free agency over the winter, but MLB's decision to implement a universal designated hitter for at least 2020 should help his case for landing a lucrative one-year deal. Between stops with the Reds and Indians in 2019, Puig slashed .267/.327/.458 with 24 home runs and 19 stolen bases.
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Yasiel Puig: Expects to sign after pandemic
Rotowire
Puig says he has contract offers on the table but they aren't in his price range, Jorge Ebro of el Nuevo Herald reports.
He said in Spanish that he knows he "will have a team when (the pandemic) is over." Puig, who is from Cuba, also noted that he asked for a little more money from the Marlins because of the added pressure he would have faced playing in front of Cuban fans. He did not address the notion of playing in a foreign league.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: On bench again Sunday
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Puig is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, Byron Kerr of MASN Sports reports.
Puig will sit for the second straight contest after the Indians were eliminated from playoff contention Friday. The 28-year-old will enter free agency this offseason after posting a .267/.327/.458 slash line with 24 home runs, 84 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 149 games between the Reds and Indians.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: Day off Saturday
Rotowire
Puig will sit Saturday against the Nationals.
Cleveland will rest several starters after getting eliminated from playoff contention Friday. Franmil Reyes makes a rare start in right field in Puig's place.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: Generates three hits in win
Rotowire
Puig went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and a pair of runs Tuesday in the Indians' 11-0 win over the White Sox.
Puig hasn't homered since Aug. 16, but he's at least been making contact at a prolific clip in the final month of the season. Through 20 games in September, Puig is batting .392 and reaching base at .471 clip. Puig should remain locked into the cleanup spot for the final five games of the season with the Indians battling the Athletics and Rays for one of the American League's two wild-card spots.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: Provides walk-off single
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Puig went 4-for-5 with a single and RBI on Wednesday against the Tigers.
Puig reached base on four singles, with the last accounting for the game-winning run. While he hasn't connected for a home run since Aug. 16, Puig has at least one hit in 13 of his last 15 appearances. He'll look to continue showcasing his ability to get on base and generate more power to close the season while improving on his .265/.324/.457 line across 581 plate appearances for the campaign.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: Out of Thursday's lineup
Rotowire
Puig is not in Thursday's lineup against the White Sox.
He is hitting .200 with zero home runs and one steal in 40 at-bats over his last 10 games. Greg Allen will start in right field and bat ninth.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: Slumping at plate
Rotowire
Puig has gone 5-for-34 with three runs, two RBI and a 5:9 BB:K over his last nine games.
Puig provided a pair of doubles in Tuesday's win over the Tigers but has otherwise been slumping at the plate for the past week and a half following a hot start to his tenure with the Tribe. Despite his slump, Puig will continue to stick in the cleanup spot for the Indians in Thursday's series finale.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: Running hot since return
Rotowire
Puig went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored Saturday in the Indians' 6-5 loss to the Yankees.
Puig hasn't missed a beat since returning from a three-game suspension Thursday, going 5-for-12 with two extra-base hits, four RBI and three runs in the first three contests of the series in New York. He'll be back in the lineup for the finale, batting out of the cleanup spot and occupying right field.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: Returns from suspension
Rotowire
Puig (suspension) was reinstated Thursday and will start against the Yankees.
The 28-year-old returns to the starting nine after serving a three-game suspension for his role in a fight while playing for the Reds. Puig will start in right field, batting fourth.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: Set to miss series vs. Red Sox
Rotowire
Puig will begin serving his three-game suspension Monday.
Puig was suspended three games at the beginning of August for his role in Cincinnati's benches-clearing incident with the Pirates. The outfielder was able to continue playing while appealing the suspension, but he'll miss Cleveland's upcoming series with the Red Sox after dropping his appeal. Look for Puig to rejoin the lineup for Thursday's series opener against the Yankees. Tyler Naquin and Greg Allen should cover the outfield corners in the meantime.
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Indians' Yasiel Puig: First homer with Cleveland
Rotowire
Puig went 3-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Twins.
The long ball was his 23rd of the year but Puig's first since the trade from the Reds. The 28-year-old is now slashing a dazzling .378/.439/.595 through his first 10 games with Cleveland.
