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Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers fan favorite Yasiel Puig has signed with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization.
The Heroes announced they signed Puig to a one-year, $1 million deal on Nov. 25. Kiwoom also signed two additional foreign players — outfielder Ruben Cardenas, who played in the Cleveland, Rays, and Phillies organizations, and pitcher Kenny Rosenberg, a former Ray and Angel — alongside Puig.
Puig will begin his second stint with the Heroes when the 2025 campaign opens on March 22. The 33-year-old first ventured across the Pacific to Kiwoom in 2021, when he slashed .277/.368/.474 with a .841 OPS and 21 homers in 126 games. More recently, Puig has played El Águila de Veracruz in the Mexican League, hitting 18 homers in 64 games in 2024. Clearly, despite the distance growing significantly between Puig and his Dodgers career, he remains a popular and familiar draw in the international game, and the Cuban star's production has matched his fame.
After his first season in Korea, Puig got into some legal trouble, which included charges for illegal gambling, among other things. There will be no legal barriers to his ability to play in KBO despite the charges.
KBO Kiwoom Heroes sign former Dodgers fan favorite Yasiel Puig for a second stint
Kiwoom officially announces that they have signed Yasiel Puig ($1 million), Ruben Cardenas ($450K salary, $150K incentievs), and pitcher Kenny Rosenberg ($700K salary, $100K incentives) pic.twitter.com/Dvi5h3hojB
— Dan Kurtz (@MyKBO) November 26, 2024
Puig's personality quirks and solid all-around skillset made him one of the most fun players to watch during his years with the Dodgers. He slashed .279/.353/.478 with a .831 OPS and 108 homers over his six seasons in Los Angeles. He earned Rookie of the Year and MVP consideration in 2013, and an All-Star nod and additional MVP votes in 2014 — all while licking his bat between pitches.
Dodgers fans still miss Puig after he was traded to the Reds for three players Los Angeles swiftly shipped elsewhere. The Homer Bailey/Jeter Downs/Josiah Gray haul still reverberates today, though, given that Downs was flipped for Mookie Betts and Gray ended up heading to Washington to facilitate 2021's Max Scherzer deal (don't ask Walker Buehler about that).
Despite Puig's off-the-field conduct and chaotic personality, he endeared himself to Dodgers fans with his powerful offense and gritty defense.