Former Cincinnati Reds outfielder signs $1M deal with KBO
Former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig signed a one-year/$1M deal with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO.
The $1M contract is the maximum allowed under KBO rules for first-year foreign players.
Former Reds OF Yasiel Puig signs with KBO.
Yasiel Puig, who's now 31 years old, has not appeared in the major leagues since his 2019 season with the Cincinnati Reds.
Puig was actually dealt to the Cleveland Indians at the trade deadline as part of the deal that brought Trevor Bauer to the Queen City.
Puig became a free agent after the 2019 season but failed to land a contract before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown spring training.
Upon the restart during the summer of 2020, it appeared as though Yasiel Puig was going to land a deal with the Atlanta Braves.
Unfortunately for Puig, that deal fell through after he tested positive for COVID-19.
To be quite honest, while The Wild Horse's on-field behavior can be quite erratic at times, it was surprising that Puig never signed a contract last offseason.
However, there was the matter of a civil action lawsuit brought against Puig that was eventually settled outside of court this fall.
That very well could have been the reason Puig never signed with a major league team last season.
Yasiel Puig will always be fondly remembered for his time in Cincinnati.
Besides the comical nature with which Puig carried himself while in Cincinnati, the slugger showcased eye-popping power
Puig was heavily involved in the Cincinnati Reds rivalry with the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2019 season.
Puig, during an early-season benches-clearing brawl, had to be held back by his teammates instead of taking on the entire Pirates team by himself.
After being out of baseball for two years, Yasiel Puig is no doubt trying to reclaim his status overseas with hopes of returning to Major League Baseball in 2023.
We'll have to wait and see if that works out for him. Best of luck to our friend, Yasiel Puig.