Yasiel Puig celebrates after he scores in the eighth inning of Game 3 of the ALCS on a double by Joc Pederson. (Photo : Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey)
The Los Angeles Dodgers were very close in making the World Series this year but they lost to the Chicago Cubs in a thrilling NLCS. The Dodgers have to make some adjustments and the latest rumors imply that they should trade Yasiel Puig and sign Yoenis Cespedes this offseason.
According to FanSided, the Dodgers tried to trade Puig at the deadline for Ryan Braun but it did not go through. He is expected to be dealt this winter with several teams already being linked to him like the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays.
The 25-year-old slugger was hampered by hamstring injuries this season and he was also demoted to the minors in August. He spent a month in AAA before getting called up in September and finish the season with a .263 batting average, 11 home runs and 45 RBIs.
The Tigers could trade Ian Kinsler for Puig while the Blue Jays would only do it if they fail to re-sign both Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. If the Dodgers acquire Kinsler, they will finally have a solid second baseman while re-signing 3B Justin Turner to complete their infield.
On the other hand, Howard Cole of Forbes suggested that the Dodgers should sign a left fielder if they trade Puig this winter. He opined that Cespedes could be a perfect match in Los Angeles or even Bautista.
It should be noted that Cespedes has opted out of his contract with the New York Mets and he is free to sign with any team this winter. He had a career-year this season with the Mets as he hit .280 with 31 home runs and 105 RBIs.
However, Cole added that the Dodgers should resist the urge in trading Puig because of his untapped potential. There are issues with him that has to be resolve and he believes that he could still become a great player in a Dodgers uniform.
"I understand the temptation to trade Yasiel Puig, and I fully expect to be felled by an announcement shortly. I hope the Dodgers resist the urge. I really do. And I absolutely love watching the young man play," Cole opined.
It should be noted that these are purely speculative at the moment. Check out the video below to see some of Puig's highlights this season.
