The Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the most active clubs during the offseason and their new front office revamped the 25-man roster. Work still needs to be done and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is "open to trading anyone."
Is Yasiel Puig one of those players?
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal talked about Friedman's willingness to deal, but he's unsure if Puig would be involved in such talks. However, it can't be ruled out because the Dodgers have a surplus of outfielders and need help in the starting rotation.
"It's difficult to imagine how [Friedman] could move Yasiel Puig to make the Dodgers better," Rosenthal said on FOX Sports' Full Count. "Puig is still just 24, he's under club control through 2019 and he's a bargain this season at $4.5 million and next season at $5.5 million.
"Could he bring the Dodgers a top young starter? Perhaps. But the Dodgers' offense has cooled off and Puig provides necessary right-hand balance. Keep in mind - Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson and top prospect Corey Seager are all left-handed hitters."
Los Angeles leads the NL West by a half game over the San Francisco Giants, but some issues remain that could spoil their success as the season progresses. The Dodgers' starting rotation ERA (3.46) ranks fifth in the MLB, but they still need an upgrade. They don't have any reliable arms beyond Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke (who may opt out of his contract after the season).
Yes, Mike Bolsinger (5-1 with a 1.15 ERA and 0.957 WHIP in five starts) has been amazing, but the club can't rely on that to be the case for the rest of the season. Brett Anderson has been solid, but his injury history gives the Dodgers' a reason to worry he may not last the rest of the way. Carlos Frias has also been a good option at the back end of the rotation, but his start last week against the San Diego Padres (4 IP, 10 ER, 12 H, 2 BB) may have raised some red flags.
Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu are out until 2016 after undergoing season-ending surgeries, which has left a lack of veteran help in the rotation. Their lineup can score all they want, but we've seen what an unreliable starting rotation can do to a team. In April, the Boston Red Sox ranked third in runs scored (113), but their starting rotation ranked last in ERA. They finished the month 12-10. Their rotation has continued to struggle and they're now 22-28.
Los Angeles' situation obviously isn't that bad, but they're in a division with the Giants, who will undoubtedly be competing for the entire season. They've managed to maintain their early success without starters Matt Cain and Jake Peavy. Once those two return the Giants will likely be even tougher to beat.
Puig has played in only 11 games this season and the Dodgers are still atop the NL West. As he continues to recover from a strained hamstring the Dodgers outfield (Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, Alex Guerrero and Scott Van Slyke) have produced runs and helped the team maintain the MLB's 12th-best offense.
"The Dodgers have been just as exciting without him. The Dodgers have played just as loudly without him. The Dodgers have been a more complete team without him. The Dodgers have actually been - shhhh - better without him," writes Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.
"Dodgers ownership considers him a franchise cornerstone, but though the team was 6-5 during games in which he played, it has gone 22-13 since he disappeared."
But that doesn't mean he'll be dealt, even though he would provide a great return in a trade.
"At this point, it would crazy to advocate dealing Puig, even though he could bring back some serious playoff-run pitching. It's way too early to consider giving up on a talent like his. In case you haven't noticed, Friedman is all about adding more depth, not depleting it, and he knows that even an average Puig could be essential to a title chase."
Nonetheless, we can't rule anything out with the team's new front office, especially if we look at a number of factors very closely.
"Dodgers ownership still loves him as the centerpiece of their marketing campaign, yet with his patch of right field grass being occupied mostly by Andre Ethier, the team still leads baseball in attendance," Plaschke added.
"When he went on the disabled list, he had appeared in only 11 games, so the sample size was too small to determine much. But during the last calendar year, from May 29, 2014 until the present, in 111 games, Puig has seven homers and 34 RBIs. Throw in his seven consecutive strikeouts and final-game benching in last year's National League division series and there could be a battle brewing."
Although it's unlikely because of his value to the team on the field as a player and off the field as a marketing tool, it's really not outlandish to think Puig could be traded before the deadline if the Dodgers feel they need to upgrade in other areas.
"The Dodgers would like to add a top young starter, but it would take an awful lot for Puig to be included in a deal," writes Brad Johnson of MLBTradeRumors.com. "My own personal spit balling - it would take a starter like Matt Harvey to open a conversation."
Now wouldn't that be something?
