Blue Jays should try and corral the “Wild Horse” from the Dodgers

The Toronto Blue Jays are going to have to think outside of the proverbial box this offseason if they are going to revamp their current lineup and catapult the Blue Jays back atop the American League East next season, one possible scenario is acquiring outfielder Yasiel Pui from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yasiel Puig is definitely an enigma on and off the baseball field who leaves everyone wondering what the 26-year old will do next, however, you cannot deny the talents he boasts on the diamond and how he could conceivably make the Blue Jays better in 2018 and beyond.

Puig finally seems to be putting it all together after a few suspect campaigns leading into this past season. In 2017, Puig hit .263/.346/.487 with 28 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 21 attempts for the World Series runner-ups.

Defensively Puig accumulated 18 Defensive Runs Saved with a respectable 15.5 Ulitmate Zone Rating/150/ in 2017. He also only committed just one error in 264 chances along with 4 outfield assists.

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Puig batted .330 with 3 home runs and 10 runs batted in 15 postseason games for the Dodgers this past season. For his career, Puig owns a .273/.342/.409 line in 42 playoff games. The outfielder will earn $9.2 million in 2018 and will not hit free agency until 2020 at the earliest.

The Blue Jays are looking to get younger and more athletic this offseason and Puig could definitely assist in attaining their goal. The native of Cuba seemed to mature over the course of the season with fewer brain lapses on the defensive side of the field while also making positive contributions to the Dodgers bench and clubhouse with his teammates. The Jays also have enough veteran leadership to ensure Puig does not veer off the path to responsibility.

The Dodgers have a surplus of outfielders with Joc Pederson, Chris Taylor, Andrew Toles, Enrique Hernandez, prospect Alex Verdugo and Cody Bellinger who can also play the outfield. A package for Puig would probably have to include a player from the Jays 25-man roster as well as prospects to lure the “Wild Horse” away from California.

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Whether you like him or not, Puig could help the current contingent become more athletic and beef up the Blue Jays offensive attack.