There was a great deal of confusion surrounding Yasiel Puig on Monday with the MLB trade deadline coming to a close, but the outfielder is expected to be demoted to the minor leagues on Tuesday.
The Dodgers were looking to trade Puig ahead of Monday’s deadline but were unable to reach a deal. Things got a little wild after the deadline passed when FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Puig stormed off after reporting to Dodger Stadium and being told he would be demoted or traded. But did Puig show up to the stadium only to angrily storm off? Yahoo’s Tim Brown says Puig was told not to report to the stadium.
Sources: Yasiel Puig was instructed not to report to stadium or plane today and did not. Told he would be demoted to minors or traded.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) August 1, 2016
Rosenthal later amended his report to say Puig never showed up at the stadium.
The bottom line though is that Puig did not accompany the team on its flight to Denver. The Cuban outfielder is expected to be optioned to the minor leagues on Tuesday, which is a big development in itself:
Sources say Yasiel Puig was informed on Monday he would either be demoted or traded. The expectation is he'll be optioned tomorrow.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) August 1, 2016
Though Puig was not traded prior to Monday’s deadline, he could still be claimed off waivers or be traded if he clears waivers.
Puig, 25, is owed $14 million through 2018, so it’s not out of the question that a team would claim him. He has batted .260 with a .706 OPS in 81 games this season as he’s battled a hamstring injury. His stats have gotten progressively worse since his stellar 2013 debut when he batted .319 with a career-best 19 home runs in just 101 games.
