Dodgers OF's dad implies Kershaw told GM to trade Puig
One of the biggest sagas within the Los Angeles Dodgers' season was the health / attitude / status of -- and trade rumors surrounding -- outfielder Yasiel Puig.
Now, a former big leaguer with no direct connection with the club but whose son plays in that same Chavez Ravine outfield as Puig, is implying that the Dodgers' biggest star personally asked management to trade during the season.
On Thursday, former Cardinals and Pirates outfielder Andy Van Slyke -- a three-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner in the 1980s and 90s -- sat in on Frank Cusumano’s "The Hollywood Casino Press Box" radio show on 920 AM in St. Louis . He made more headlines for his rip job on Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano. (Van Slyke was a coach on the Mariners the last two seasons and was fired shortly after the regular season ended.)
But Van Slyke was also asked about the Dodgers, seeing how his son Scott plays in L.A. And when the show began taking questions from "the text line," the first question was about Puig.
"Your son has been a teammate of his for a couple years, what's your take, and what are your impressions," Cusumano asked. "What does Scott say?"
Then came the stunner from Van Slyke:
Cusumano then said Van Slyke must be talking about first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, to wit Van Slyke quickly corrected Cusumano to say Gonzalez is not the highest-paid Dodger.
"Oh, well that’d be Kershaw," Cusumano said. "Alright, I gotcha."
"I didn’t say his name," was all Van Slyke would say after that.
While he didn't specifically mention Kershaw by name, it's quite obvious to whom Van Slyke is referring, as the lefty is Los Angeles' highest-paid player by a significant margin.
Although Puig had an excellent rookie campaign, he has experienced a significant regression as teams have learned how to pitch to him and exploit his weaknesses.
In 2015, between a pair of hamstring injuries, the 24-year-old hit .255/.322/.436 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 79 games.
In addition to his attrition over his three-year career, Puig is said to be a mercurial figure in the clubhouse, which was apparent in a reported incident between Puig and pitcher Zack Greinke highlighted in Molly Knight's "The Best Team Money Can Buy," in which Greinke threw Puig's bag off the team bus.
Puig isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2019 season.
H/t Yahoo Sports
