This Monday (in Korea), the Kiwoom Heroes, a KBO team, decided to place Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig on waivers. The Cienfuegos, Cuba native was going through a rough patch offensively over the course of the season.
This could be Puig’s final game in the KBO , as Korean teams have a limit of three foreigners, and it’s unlikely any of the remaining nine teams will be interested in his services. In 40 games this season, he was hitting just .212 (156 AB; 33 H) and accumulating a low OPS of .625. He had eight extra-base hits (2 2B and 6 HR), 20 RBIs, and 38 strikeouts.
In his two seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization the slugger slashed .262/.350/.443/.793 with 27 homeruns, 93 runs batted in and six stolen bases. Could this be the end for Puig? I sincerely doubt it, he might resurface in México with Veracruz being a big option. A team which he played for in 2021 and also last summer.
This could definitely close the door on the ex-big league star. Over his seven-year career in the majors with Cleveland, Cincinnati and the Dodgers he hit .277 with 132 longballs, 415 runs batted in and a slash line of .348/.475/.823. Where will the wild horse go next? Only time will tell. Puig departure leaves only two players of Cuban heritage in the Korean circuit, outfielders Rubén Cárdenas ( Kiwoom) and Guillermo Heredia (SSG).