Puig made it a much tougher decision than originally expected with his fantastic play this spring. He'll join many top Dodger prospects in Tennessee like -- at least for a little while.
This also means Carl Crawford, despite my skepticism, should be ready for opening day.
As exciting as it would be for Puig to be in the majors, he needs a little more seasoning in the minors. After Alex Castellanos, who could (should) benefit from the transaction, Puig should be first on the minor-league depth chart.
It's a move that makes all the sense in the world, but it's still a touch disappointing.
The Dodgers haven't had a player create as much buzz as Puig in a long time. Matt Kemp is an exciting player, but even during is shoulda-been-MVP campaign of 2011, he never had the mystique surrounding him Puig does. Manny Ramirez brought a buzz with him until his performance-enhancing drug suspension, but Puig is doing all this as a 22-year-old.
But Puig does have some facets of his game that need refinement, specifically his baserunning and defense. There's no better place to do that than in the Southern League.
Puig's time will be here sooner than originally expected. If Crawford or Andre Ethier struggle immensely, Puig will get the call. If any starting outfielder gets hurt for an extended period of time, Puig will get the call. Hopefully, neither scenario happens.
The Dodgers and the fanbase will soon be inundated with Puig. That will be a great day, especially if he proves his spring was no fluke while in Chattanooga.
Dee Gordon was also optioned to the minors, as he'll begin the 2013 campaign with the Isotopes at Triple-A Albuquerque.
Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue
Juan Uribe must have dirty pictures of Ned Colletti.
ReplyDelete600 Babip and zero walks yes AA is the right call
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