Yasel Puig defects- signed by Dodgers

[Guest]

I read that and didn't understand it at all. Do you need to be on an active roster, so you can defect in good standing?

No, he doesn't need the good standing but he needed to be on the active roster to travel internationally and have a better or easier chance at trying to defect again. It was punishment and a deterrent.

[UMFan83]

If he's gonna walk off the island, we might really have something here.

 

Dusty Baker - You can't walk across the Gulf of Mexico

[Guest]

Looks like we're interested...

 

 

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/8074853/agent-says-cuban-yasiel-puig-expected-hit-market-soon

 

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig could be declared a free agent, making him able to sign with an MLB team as early as next weekend, his agent told ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com on Tuesday.

 

The Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks are some of the teams that already have expressed interest in Puig, a 21-year-old outfielder who defected from Cuba a couple weeks ago and established residency in Mexico this week.

 

"We already sent the commissioner's office all the documentation required in order to apply for free agency, including the approval of Puig's residency in Mexico. With residency in hand, it's a matter of a couple of days before he is declared a free agent," according to Jaime Torres, who previously has represented many Cuban baseball players, including pitcher Jose Contreras, shortstop Alexei Ramirez and outfielder Dayan Viciedo.

[davell]

Awesome. get him in the fold. He's probably well ahead of Soler developmentally, from what it seems. Maybe it's asking for too much to get BOTH him and Soler, but it'd be nice as well. Plus, it'd give us that much more flexibility from a trade standpoint, when it comes to Brett and/or Szczur too.

[Sammy Sofa]

Given how little money they have locked up, and how they had wanted to get both Soler and Cespedes, it shouldn't be anywhere near "asking for too much" to get Puig.

[Guest]

Puig video

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpT5672AOa8&feature=youtube_gdata

[Guest]

Puig video

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpT5672AOa8&feature=youtube_gdata

Odd swing

[Prizefight]

Puig video

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpT5672AOa8&feature=youtube_gdata

Odd swing

 

Looks a bit of a Soriano/Sheffield hybrid.

[ctcf]

Go get him, braintrust

[Tryptamine]

The swing was a bit strange and there didn't seem to be a ton of bat speed yet the ball seemed carried really well off his bat. I was most impressed with his arm on that double play.

[Have a seat, Neifi]

Given how little money they have locked up, and how they had wanted to get both Soler and Cespedes, it shouldn't be anywhere near "asking for too much" to get Puig.

Agreed. As with Soler and less so Cespedes, this seems like exactly the type of investment we should be making given the multi-year rebuild, new CBA, the club's finances, and the dearth of talent throughout the organization.

[davell]

Oh, I think we definitely should be trying to get this guy, don't get me wrong. I'm used to seeing what seems like(and probably actual) 20-25% of our damn major league payroll tied up between middle relievers and backup middle infielders. If this guy (assuming he's worth it, I can't possibly advocate giving this guy Soler money if he's worth half of what Soler is) is signed, we're going to have about 10 mill a year or so, maybe slightly more, dedicated to this market. Which is a great investment, if even one of these guys pans out.

 

Hendry made sure to set the market for things like middle relief and backups to get HIS guy. Theo's going to wait things out, and get just as good of a return for a lot less money, so signing these guys doesn't even truly affect the payroll in a way that anyone should complain about.

[Cubswin11]

Puig video

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpT5672AOa8&feature=youtube_gdata

Odd swing

Quite odd, as the other poster said it doesn't look like he has great bat speed but he certainly appears to have good plate coverage and it looks like he keeps his bat in the zone pretty long.

[Guest]

I wish BA/Ben Badler would chime in on Puig's prospect status. I trust Badler way more than the MLB.com international guy whose story revolved around quotes from Puig's agent.

 

A quick search of the BA web site indicates they've never written a word about Puig.

[UK1679666180]

Puig video

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpT5672AOa8&feature=youtube_gdata

Odd swing

 

Looks a bit of a Soriano/Sheffield hybrid.

 

His lower half is very similar to BJ Upton with the turning of the stride foot inward like that.

[davell]

I can't even find my tweet, but I remember asking Badler how many Cubans would receive as much or more money than Cespedes, if they defected. I think he said around 5. Don't think he mentioned Puig either. My guess is he's gathering info for an article on him, because he hasn't even answered questions on Twitter about him, since this became a possibility.

[Magnetic Curses]

that last highlight of him making that catch is about as good of a layout as i've ever seen.

[El Duderino]

Pronounciation?

[davell]

Omar Luis Rodriguez, the 19 year old lefty from Cuba is signing with the Yanks for between 4-5 mill on a minor league deal. He was rated slightly behind Concepcion, so if that's the case, then we didn't overpay a ton for Concepcion.

[SouthSideRyan]

Pronounciation?

 

Yousel P-we-eg?

[Guest]

Omar Luis Rodriguez, the 19 year old lefty from Cuba is signing with the Yanks for between 4-5 mill on a minor league deal. He was rated slightly behind Concepcion, so if that's the case, then we didn't overpay a ton for Concepcion.

 

BA scouting report indicates he's 86-92 with a 73-78 curve, backdoor slider and changeup. "A junkballer with excellent pichability."

[mul21]

Omar Luis Rodriguez, the 19 year old lefty from Cuba is signing with the Yanks for between 4-5 mill on a minor league deal. He was rated slightly behind Concepcion, so if that's the case, then we didn't overpay a ton for Concepcion.

 

BA scouting report indicates he's 86-92 with a 73-78 curve, backdoor slider and changeup. "A junkballer with excellent pitchability."

 

That sounds a lot like Lilly, right down to the velocity. Although I don't really remember Lilly ever throwing a slider.

[Guest]

@Kevin_Goldstein: Good, but not beast tools like Soler. RT @ChiMike702: @Kevin_Goldstein What's the scouting report on Yasel Puig?

[sneakypower]

The swing was a bit strange and there didn't seem to be a ton of bat speed yet the ball seemed carried really well off his bat. I was most impressed with his arm on that double play.

i think the balls are made of rubber or something, in that video it keeps bouncing like they're playing on the moon

[Guest]

@Kevin_Goldstein: Scout notes on Cuban free agent OF Yasel Puig: Physical, plus runner, avg bat, avg power, decent in CF, not a lock to stay there.