Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Blog Kiosk: 7/28/2015 - Dodger Links - Puig, Olivera and Farhan Zaidi


I think with the silly season in full gear it is important to note that a vast majority of rumors you hear are just a bunch of bunk.  You've got competing interest at play; from agents looking to position their clients, to GM's trying to outplay their competitors, to reporters looking to create buzz and pageviews.  So, you should take everything you hear and read with a grain of salt.  Heck, the most likely trade to happen are the ones you don't hear about.  (Case in point, were there any rumors about Tulo getting traded before he was?)

That being said, I can totally envision the Dodgers trading Yasiel Puig should the right offer come along.  The thing is, I highly doubt that kind of offer comes.  He is an economic asset (look at his contract) and a player with the ability to put up huge numbers.  In order for a trade to make sense we would have to get premium value with cost certainty for a good amount of time, and no amount of rumors focused on any clubhouse antics should play a part in subsequent discussions.  Nevertheless, with all of the talk focused on him he had to respond, via Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times:

If Puig had a say, he would go nowhere.

"Players never want to be traded from their first team," he said. "But that's not our decision."
Puig raised the example of Dee Gordon, the All-Star second baseman who was traded to the Miami Marlins over the winter.

"Dee Gordon didn't want to be traded from here and they traded him," he said.

Puig said that if he is traded, he would like to respond the way Gordon did. Gordon, who was sidelined by a thumb injury earlier this month, is second in the National League with a .338 batting average.

"I'll play anywhere," Puig said. "I came to the United States [from Cuba] to play baseball. Baseball is the same anywhere. If they want to trade me, that's their decision. I can't do anything about that."

I hope the Dodgers keep him in the outfield.  He's still young and learning as he navigates the world he lives in now, and I'd hate for his numbers to explode in another uniform when maturity sets in.

The photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Below are some links to check out:
  • Take a look at the upcoming August issue of Dodger Insider magazine on the right.  It features Yasmani Grandal on the cover and in-depth articles on Yasiel Puig and Rick Honeycutt.  It goes on sale at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.  Click on the pic to embiggen.
  • Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Olivera 'doing great,' Frias healthy after rehab start."
"Hector is doing great," said Kapler. "He's recovering beautifully, running to increase speed and stride length. Working his tail off. Taking swings off the tee and looks strong and fluid."
  • PETA declares that Dodger Stadium is the #1 most vegetarian friendly Baseball stadium in the league.  Check out their top-10 list here.
  • GCRL shares even more Steve Garvey cards in his collection - all of his book "fold-out" cards.
  • I hate hearing stuff like this - even when the victim is a Giants fan.  Via Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily, "(Willie) Mays Rookie Stolen from Rob Schneider’s Home."
  • With the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago is just days away Panini shares even more cards from their wrapper redemption program at the show; including the Joc Pederson jersey button cards below.  Go here to see even more photos of the cards available.
  • Check out this recent interview (this past weekend) from the DOHA conference between Molly Knight and Farhan Zaidi below.  (Hat Tip: r/thedude596 on reddit)

Video Link:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...