The Giants are about to embark on the strangest season in MLB history. They'll do so with a new outfielder, one who for most of his career has seemed the most unlikely player in baseball to ever wear orange and black.
**NEWS ON PUIG**
Puig, originally signed out of Cuba by the Los Angeles Dodgers, exploded onto the scene in 2013, helping to reinvigorate the franchise as he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting and became a fan favorite. He also became Public Enemy No. 1 in San Francisco.
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Puig has gotten into several altercations with former Giants ace Madison Bumgarner over the years and in 2018 exchanged shoves with catcher Nick Hundley, setting off a nasty skirmish behind the plate. Puig and Bumgarner exchanged words twice in 2014 and in 2016 appeared genuinely ready to fight before teammates intervened. That was the infamous "don't look at me" incident.
There isn't a big leaguer who has been booed more at Oracle Park than Puig over the last decade, but times have changed.
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Bumgarner is a Diamondback and many of the teammates who shared his feelings about the longtime Dodger are gone. The new president of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi, was GM of the Dodgers when Puig was going through his ups and downs, and manager Gabe Kapler worked for the organization before heading to the Phillies.
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They are apparently betting that they can get the best out of Puig and bolster an uncertain outfield. Hunter Pence and Alex Dickerson were once expected to platoon in left but now will share much of the time at DH. Mike Yastrzemski is the only outfielder considered an everyday player, and he could see plenty of starts in center field.
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That would leave right field for Puig, though it does considerably harm the immediate outlook for intriguing prospect Jaylin Davis and other young players like Austin Slater and Steven Duggar. In a 60-game season, though, Puig certainly adds some talent to the roster.
Puig, 29, was traded to the Reds before last season and then dealt to the Indians before the deadline. In 149 games, he had a .267/.327/.458 slash line and 24 homers. He was worth 1.3 Wins Above Replacement and had an OPS+ of 100 that is exactly league average, though for his career he is at 122.