I am once again asking the St. Louis Cardinals to sign Yasiel Puig

Yasiel Puig is still a free agent and as the St. Louis Cardinals continue to look at improving their outfield offense, Puig should be on their radar.

The St. Louis Cardinals have done a fair amount to position themselves for success in the 2021 season. Bringing back Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright was a must, but trading for Nolan Arenado and shipping out Dexter Fowler opens the doors for a more consistent offense.

However, with Fowler gone in the outfield, the oldest outfielder on the roster is Austin Dean (27) and the most seasoned outfielder is Harrison Bader who is just 26. While I am personally excited about a starting outfield of Tyler O’Neill, Harrison Bader, and Dylan Carlson, there is a chance that all the options the team has in house struggle.

I love O’Neill more than most, but this year will likely be his last chance to prove he’s worthy of an everyday spot. Harrison Bader had a good offensive year in 2020 but needs to prove he can be consistent over an entire year. While the future is very bright for Dylan Carlson, putting too much pressure on his performance this year isn’t smart. Beyond these three, Lane Thomas, Dean, and Justin Williams are all huge question marks.

Those are the concerns, and if things go poorly the only thing the Cardinals can count on from this group is solid defense. Like it has been for the past few years, there is a chance that this group does not contribute a ton offensively.

Because of these concerns, the Cardinals may be smart to look for veteran options. Already, Josh Reddick is a fine option, but the other name that I think fits would be Yasiel Puig.

Last winter, I suggested Puig as an option to replicate Marcell Ozuna’s production from when he was in St. Louis. What I found there was telling.

"In the last two years, Puig has averaged a 110 OPS+, .802 OPS, 24 homers, and 74 RBIs. That’s not quite the same power numbers, but with a more consistent batting average (.267) each year and the same on-base level, Puig and Ozuna have been remarkably similar. Ozuna has averaged 47 XBH the last two years, Puig has averaged 51."

In his time in St. Louis, Ozuna averaged a 107 OPS+, a number that Puig could easily replicate. The curveball here right now is that Puig didn’t sign with a team for the entirety of 2020. This was mostly due to a positive COVID-19 test and eventually, it just didn’t work out for him.

Puig did play five games in the Dominican Winter League though, hitting one homer and taking seven walks in 20 plate appearances.

The biggest question with Puig is how he would work with the clubhouse. Puig’s odd and fiery personality. This could be a negative, but it also could make the Cardinals more exciting. I, for one, believe that Yadier Molina would keep Puig in check.

Recent reports have multiple teams including the Royals and Yankees interested, but both have backed off.

Assuming Puig could get back to his career averages (122 OPS+), he would be a valuable option in the outfield. There isn’t a single outfielder on the Cardinals more established at the plate than Puig is and he’s just sitting out there.

I’m not sure if Puig would displace Bader or Carlson for regular at-bats, but the Cardinals could use some more promising offensive options. Even if he plays over O’Neill, Puig has a chance to be a better option for the Cardinals.