Former Dodgers All-Star outfielder Yasiel Puig announced on his Instagram account that he will not continue playing with the Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League for an intriguing reason.
"Due to matters of a proposed contract for 2025, which was already in motion when I re-signed here, my new team has asked me to retire from playing in the Winter," Puig wrote in Spanish. "This was a very difficult but necessary decision at this point in my life, and I always want to give my best to the people who trust me."
Puig went on to write that "I love Venezuela and this is not goodbye forever. The opportunity is still open to return to my beloved (La) Guaira."
According to Venezuelan repoter Cesar Sequera Ramos on Twitter/X, "everything indicates that he will sign with a team from Asia."
Yasiel Puig informó en su cuenta de Instagram que no seguirá con los @Tiburonesbbc_
"Por asuntos de propuesta de contrato para 2025... mi nuevo equipo ha pedido retirarme de jugar en invierno", explicó el pelotero.
Todo indica que firmará con un equipo de Asia.
If so, it would not be the first time Puig headed across the Pacific.
Puig played for the Kiwoom Heroes, a KBO team based in Seoul, for the 2022 season. In 126 games that year he batted .277 with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs.
Since his lone season in Korea, Puig has played in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venzeuela. His last MLB game was in 2019 with the Cleveland Guardians. The Atlanta Braves tried to sign Puig in 2020, according to multiple reports, but the contract fell through after Puig revealed he had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.
In seven major league seasons (2013-19), Puig slashed .277/.348/.475 for three different teams. He spent the majority of his career (2013-18) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, for whom he made the National League All-Star team in 2014.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
English (US) ·