Cincinnati Reds: 2019 midseason grade for Yasiel Puig

We’ve reached the midway point of the Cincinnati Reds’ season and it’s time to check in on the mercurial Yasiel Puig’s 2019 performance thus far.

When the Cincinnati Reds completed the blockbuster-December trade with the Dodgers, right fielder Yasiel Puig was expected to be the centerpiece of the package heading to the Queen City. The enigmatic and always-entertaining Puig was coming off back-to-back seasons of more than 20 home runs, with an OPS over .800 with Los Angeles.

Heading into the 2019 season, the expectations for Puig’s offensive output were very optimistic, considering his previous output for Los Angeles while playing in a pitcher-friendly ballpark in Dodger Stadium. While not many expected Puig to compete for the MVP Award, a slight uptick in his overall numbers, as well as All-Star consideration were reasonable expectations for the 28-year-old.

The beginning of the 2019 season did not go the way that either the Reds or Puig had hoped. Through the end of May, Puig was hitting a paltry .218/.268/.391, with a strikeout rate of 24.4%, according to Fangraphs.

That poor offensive production, coupled with Puig’s occasional mishaps in the field, were diminishing any value that the Cincinnati Reds expected to receive when they completed the trade in December. With Matt Kemp gone and Alex Wood on the shelf, the Reds looked to be getting the short end of the stick.

However, since the month of June began, Puig has been a different hitter at the plate. Thanks in part to an improved approach that has seen Puig make contact with significantly more pitches in the strike zone. Rather than chase pitches, Puig has hit .287/.340/.609 with 7 home runs and 6 stolen bases.

Thanks to his torrid month of June, and in particular the last few weeks of action, Puig has significantly raised his overall statistics to above-replacement level. While still not nearing the top of the leaderboard in many offensive categories, Puig has now gone deep 17 times, with an OPS of .748, thanks to a slugging percentage of .458.

With the month of July now upon us, almost every baseball fan knows that the trade deadline is approaching, and with Puig’s current contract set to expire at the conclusion of the 2019 season, the Reds have some decisions to make with not only Puig, but also several other impending free agents, such as Tanner Roark, Alex Wood and Scooter Gennett.

For pure entertainment value, many Reds fans would like to see Cincinnati offer Puig a contract extension to remain with the team. As of late though, entertainment value may not be the sole reason for wanting to keep Puig around, as his offensive production in the middle of the order during the month of June has been instrumental in keeping the Reds in the postseason hunt.

The most logical move for the Reds seems to be to sign Puig to a short contract extension, keeping him in a Reds uniform for the next several seasons, until several of the Reds’ young outfield prospects (Taylor Trammell, Mike Siani and Jose Siri) are ready to contribute.

Perhaps a two-year deal, worth around $10-15 million per season would get the job done for an extension, with a club-option for the third season to give the Cincinnati Reds more flexibility. Puig has value, not only at the plate, but in the field as well. The dude has a cannon for an arm.

Regardless of whether or not Puig makes a return to Cincinnati in the 2020 season, the right fielder has been a huge reason for the newfound excitement that has taken over the Reds’ fanbase, especially after four consecutive last-place, 90-plus loss seasons. He may be frustrating at times, but Puig has undoubtedly kept this team interesting and as long as he can continue his offensive production, he will remain an asset for this Reds team.