Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
There have been some rumblings in the media that the Los Angeles Dodgers may be interested in dealing Yasiel Puig in any deal involving Cole Hamels.
Although Puig is a tremendous talent, his on-field antics have worn thin on fans and the organization alike. When Carl Crawford returns from the disabled list, the Dodgers will have Crawford, Alex Guerrero, Joc Pederson, Andre Ethier and Puig, who are all starting-caliber outfielders, on the 25-man roster. Trading Puig would not hurt the team in the least, and acquiring Hamels would make the Dodgers instant World Series favorites.
Although the Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke at the top of the rotation, those two guys will not be sufficient in a seven-game series in the playoffs. Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy have suffered season-ending injuries, and that leaves Brett Anderson, Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias to fill out the rest of the starting staff. Those guys have done an admirable job to this point in 2015, but the team can’t expect them to continue at their current pace.
Unless they are blown away by an offer, the Philadelphia Phillies will likely hold onto Hamels until the trading deadline as they attempt to maximize his value in a trade. It’s highly unlikely that the Phillies would do a Puig for Hamels trade straight up, but he could certainly be the centerpiece of the deal. It’s time for the Phillies to start building for the future, and acquiring a superstar like Puig may help to accelerate that process. It’s also entirely possible that Puig becomes more lethargic and disinterested playing for a losing team and ends up doing more harm than good, but it may be worth that risk.
Whatever the deal would end up being, if the Dodgers acquire Hamels, then they become the team to beat. Kershaw, Greinke and Hamels would be a nasty threesome to begin any playoff series and would likely give the team the upperhand in every game. When it comes to the Dodgers, the ownership and front office will pull out all the stops to chase down a World Series title. It’s embarrassing to the franchise that the team hasn’t won a World Series since 1988, so the team’s checkbook will be wide open come July 31.
Jason Fletcher is a MLB Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.
