St. Louis Cardinals: 4 Offseason Deals That Would Hurt Most

“The Los Angeles Dodgers Trade Yasiel Puig”

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week, former St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Andy Van Slyke went on local radio and claimed that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ highest-paid player, ace Clayton Kershaw, wants Puig gone. Here’s a snippet:

"“When the best player — the highest paid player on the Los Angeles Dodgers — goes to the GM and … is asked what are [the needs of the Los Angeles Dodgers], this particular highest-paid player said, ‘The first thing you need to do is get rid of Puig.’ That’s all you need to know.”"

Wow. This is damning on several fronts. First, Van Slyke totally threw his kid, Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Skyke, under the bus, because we all know that bit of dirt is coming from him. And second, he completely screwed over Kershaw by outing him like that. Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ other ace, current free agent Zack Greinke, who everyone assumes will be returning to L.A., famously chucked Puig’s luggage onto the streets during a roadtrip several years ago.

The Puig distraction in L.A. has been good for everyone else in baseball. The Cuban outfielder has helped torpedo several winning seasons now with his antics on and off the field. He certainly greased the skids for former skipper Don Mattingly and certainly won’t do new manager Dave Roberts any favors, if history is any guide. Trading Puig would be a classic addition-by-subtraction move by the front office.

Meanwhile, you have to wonder whether such a trade would finally be the wake up call for Puig. If that happens, then two teams will be vastly improved.

Next: The Cubs Add Greinke or Price