Yasiel

Puig

Puig is returning to the U.S., and he said on Twitter that, “The next step is the biggest so far. I can’t wait to share it with all of you.” The 34-year-old Puig was hitting .217/.292/.349 for the last-place Heroes in Korea. It was his second stint with the club, as he previously hit .277/.367/.474 with 21 homers in 126 games in 2022.

Puig returns to Korea, where he previously spent the 2022 season, following a stint last year in the independent Mexican League where he batted .314 with 18 homers in 64 contests. The 33-year-old outfielder hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2019 season and at this juncture, it appears highly unlikely he’ll ever make it back to the big leagues. He was unquestionably one of the more electric players in the game last decade at his physical peak, but there’s a strong possibility his stateside career is over.

There were rumblings earlier this offseason that Puig was generating some interst from big-league teams, but no deal ever came to fruition. The 33-year-old former standout will take his talents back to the independent Mexican League next month. He hasn’t played in the majors since the 2019 campaign.

The 33-year-old slugger hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since the 2019 season. Puig has had his share of off-field issues — including pleading guilty to felony gambling charges — but there’s still a small chance that an MLB team could take a shot on him. He has had a terrific season in winter ball though — hitting .360 with 12 homers and 32 RBI in 48 games.

Puig finished just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. The veteran is now slashing .357/.419/.536 across nine games so far and at just 32 years old, there’s a chance that some MLB team is willing to give him another chance. Of course, Puig’s on field abilities were never as much of a concern as his off field escapades, including a sports betting charge. However, Puig has been open about his mental health journey and recovery and we’ve seen people get multiple chances before.

The former major league outfielder, who will not have his contract renewed by the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization, has been charged with making false statements in a federal investigation of an illegal sports betting operation. Puig had agreed to plead guilty, but decided earlier this week to withdraw from that agreement and plead not guilty. His attorney cited “significant new evidence” as the reason for changing his plea. If convicted at trial, Puig could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Puig is currently embroiled in a legal matter involving an illegal gambling operation and recently withdrew from an agreement to plead guilty to a felony charge. The former big league outfielder was charged with lying to federal law enforcement officials investigating an illegal gambling ring. The 31-year-old outfielder hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2019 campaign and batted .277/.368/.474 with 21 homers and six steals in 126 games last year with the Kiwoom Heroes.

Puig is charged with lying to federal investigators who were looking into the gambling operation, and the indication earlier this month was that the former MLB outfielder would plead guilty in United States District Court. “I want to clear my name,” Puig said in a statement Wednesday. “I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.” Puig’s attorney, Keri Axel, told the Los Angeles Times that “significant new evidence” has led to a change in approach to the case. The belief of the defense is that Puig might have been entrapped.

Puig lied to federal law enforcement officials who were investigating the gambling ring, which was allegedly started by former A’s minor leaguer Wayne Nix. When the investigation ultimately concluded, Puig was found to have placed 899 illegal sports bets -- on tennis, football, and basketball games -- over just a three-month period in 2019. Full details of the case are available at the sourced link below. Puig’s felony charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. He has agreed to pay a fine of at least $55,000 and will appear in United States District Court on November 15. The 31-year-old continued his playing career this past season in the Korea Baseball Organization and put up strong numbers, but it’s probably all over for him now.

Puig will reportedly receive the KBO’s maximum salary for a first-year foreign player after spending last season playing for Veracruz in the Mexican League. The 31-year-old former big-league outfielder had a deal in place with the Braves back in 2020, but wound up never signing after testing positive for COVID-19. He last appeared in the majors with Cleveland back in 2019.