Yasiel Puig is never returning to Dodgers despite recent comments

Yasiel Puig last played in Major League Baseball back in 2019 … arguably two years longer than he should have.

The former Los Angeles Dodgers star, who was signed as an international free agent back in 2012, was accused of sexual assault by two different women prior to the 2017 season. In another bad look for MLB, those were swept under the rug and secret settlements were reached, ostensibly so Puig could continue playing without it becoming a PR nightmare for both the Dodgers and the league.

How fitting that we just learned that news in the midst of Trevor Bauer’s sexual assault investigation. Sorry, we meant, “How depressing.”

Though Puig was recently in the news for actual good reasons (he runs his own children’s foundation in LA), that doesn’t mean the wounds here have healed. When speaking with the media, he briefly touched upon the Dodgers because “people are still talking and texting” him about returning to Los Angeles. Sorry, but not going to happen.

Yasiel Puig will never be a Dodgers OF again after his 2017 settlements.

On what planet would the Dodgers even dream of entertaining a reunion with Puig after the revelations from this offseason? Not to mention, it’s clear the rest of the league knew something after 2019 because he was coming off a fairly productive season with the Reds and now-Guardians that should’ve landed him a Major League contract.

Instead, he took the pandemic-shortened season off before agreeing to a deal in South Korea for the 2021 campaign. That’s the good old Rachel Luba representation for ya! Oh yeah, did we mention Puig and Bauer share the same “agent”? Dodgers fans have to really have their heads buried in the sand under a bunch of cinderblocks if they think this remotely possible.

After trading Puig after the 2018 season (a clear indication they were ready to rid themselves of his baggage and not be in the crosshairs of the media had the news of his sexual assault settlements broken earlier), the Dodgers, in hindsight, signaled they were wiping their hands clean, because why else would they trade an outfielder who just hit .267 with an .820 OPS?

Now that LA was tasked with erasing every trace of Bauer once he was placed on administrative leave back in June, you can see the toll these kinds of heinous situations take on a franchise. The Dodgers successfully covered this up the first time (until a few weeks ago) and then had to conduct damage control the second time. The third time? There is no third time — not if they’re controlling the situation.

Yasiel Puig’s ‘secret settlements’ give Dodgers and MLB another black eye

Former Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig reportedly agreed to secret settlements with his apparent sexual assault victims, then played on.