Neither do they, apparently.
A couple of weeks after locking up Andre Ethier, the Los Angeles Dodgers gave Cuban defector Yasiel Puig a seven-year, $42 million contract in June. Now, as a result of the weekend’s megadeal with the Red Sox, it’s hard to see where he’s ever going to fit in.
1B Adrian Gonzalez - Signed through 2018
LF Carl Crawford - Signed through 2017
CF Matt Kemp - Signed through 2019
RF Andre Ethier - Signed through 2017
The Dodgers’ outfield is completely set for five years beyond this one, and moving Ethier to first base during the back half of his deal is also off the table. Of course, the Dodgers are plenty rich, and they could well pay someone to take Crawford or Ethier come 2014 or ’15. Puig, though, looks like a very expensive excess piece. And with the huge contract, he’s not going to have any trade value at all until he proves he can play in the majors.
Puig, for what it’s worth, has impressed in limited action this season. The 21-year-old went 12-for-30 with four homers in nine games in his stint in the Rookie Arizona League. Since moving up to high-A ball earlier this month, he’s hit .375/.468/.425 with no homers and six steals in 40 at-bats.
