Dodgers: Yasiel Puig trade leak shows no confidence in the Wild Horse

News recently broke that the Boston Red Sox turned down a Yasiel Puig for Jackie Bradley Jr. swap. This is a terrible leak for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Trade leaks happen, they are inevitable. Front offices are actively trying to improve their team and will float around several names in the process. Thus, when these talks are released, the player in question can develop doubt; the team must explain to them that it was nothing serious. The Los Angeles Dodgers must do that with Yasiel Puig.

The Dodgers must explain why they have more interest in Jackie Bradley Jr. Puig, who is coming off of his best season since 2014, likely feels unwanted. Obviously, the Dodgers are trying to get rid of him. How is that going to be anything but negative for Puig’s morale?

The answer is simple. This will not be the answer Andrew Friedman gives the Wild Horse, but the Dodgers insistence on trading Puig is based off one thing. Confidence.

The Dodgers front office does not have any confidence in Yasiel Puig moving forward.

Puig is coming off of his best year since 2014, he finally seemed matured. The right fielder hit .263 with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs. His strikeout percentage was under 20 percent for the first time since 2014. He walked at a career-high 11.2 percent rate. His 2.9 WAR — according to FanGraphs — was the ninth highest among right fielders.

Bradley, on the other hand, was on the reverse side of the curve. The former all-star is coming off of a career-worst year after a breakout 2016. His batting average fell to .245, his lowest since 2014; he slugged just 17 home runs and drove in 58 RBIs. His walk rate was lower than Puig’s (8.9%), his strikeout rate was higher (22.9%).

His defense was only slightly better statistically, yet Puig was a Gold Glove finalist (and arguably should have won), Bradley was not.

By all accounts, Yasiel Puig was the better player last season. There was no locker room drama and Puig’s immaturity took him as far as waving his tongue in the postseason, something that ignited the team. He played in 152 games, he always came up with the big hit and is only owed $7.5 million next season.

Bradley is still under arbitration, last season he made $3.6 million. The salary difference is far too minimal to be the Dodgers’ motive. In fact, the only thing that would suggest a trade for Bradley makes sense is his team control. LA would control Bradley through the 2020 season; Puig is a free agent after this year.

Even that argument is a hard one to get behind. Puig seemingly loves the city of Los Angeles, what is stopping the Dodgers from re-signing him to a two, three-year deal like Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen. Sure, he may want more money, but if that is the case the Dodgers can simply pass the torch to Alex Verdugo.

More from LA Sports Hub

This doesn’t make sense. As previously alluded to, this is all a lack of confidence from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Puig is coming off of a great season, Bradley a disappointing one; yet the Dodgers want to flip the two talents.

Los Angeles is assuming that Puig will again become a headache in the locker room. Maybe he already is and a high-profile player such as Clayton Kershaw is complaining. There could be factors behind closed doors that are not in the public eye. Regardless, it all boils down to that lack of confidence.

The Dodgers do not think Puig can replicate his 2017 production. They are not convinced that he finally adjusted to being an adult in the MLB. This is sad, too, as Puig is constantly proving himself. He hit eighth when the Dodgers needed him to. He came up with some huge hits in the postseason when the team needed it.

Yasiel Puig is doing everything he can to impress the Dodgers organization, to win over the fans and to win a World Series ring.

Next: Time is running out for Clayton Kershaw

And what do the Dodgers do? Try and go get a player that is arguably worse than Puig right now. Sorry, Yasiel Puig, for this mess; us fans still love you.

Home/Dodgers Rumors