MLB Trade Rumors: Should the Dodgers trade Yasiel Puig for pitching?

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a rotation filled with questions marks. Do they make a drastic move to address the issue?

The Los Angeles Dodgers have arguably one of the best, if not the best, one-two punch at the top of their rotation. In Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the Dodgers have the first two pieces of a postseason rotation to challenge any team.

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The rest of the group; not so much.

As it currently stands, the Dodgers feature a rotation built around their two aces, but the back-end has been in upheaval throughout most of the year. The shoulder injury to Hyun-Ryu and the subsequent Tommy John surgery for Brandon McCarthy threw a big wrench into things quite quickly. That’s left the team plugging holes with Brett Anderson, Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Frias, Scott Baker, Juan Nicasio, Brandon Beachy, David Huff, Yimi Garcia, and Joe Weiland.

While both Anderson (5-5, 3.17 ERA) and Bolsinger (4-3, 3.08) have been encouraging surprises, the Dodgers would still feel much better if they could plug in a known quantity into the rotation directly behind Greinke, someone who could not only help solidify the rotation for 2015, but an arm that could be under team control for a few years further.

Someone like Cole Hamels perhaps.

The Dodgers make an awful lot of sense as a potential destination for Hamels. They are one of a few teams that could feasibly handle the three years and $76.5 million due to Hamels after this season and they also have the pieces to make a deal happen. However, the two sides have thus far been unable to come to an agreement on a potential trade for the lefty ace, as the Dodgers have thus far been unwilling to include top prospects Corey Seager or Julio Urias in a potential return package.

But what if the Dodgers and Phillies went a little bit further outside of the box. Perhaps the two teams build a deal around a slightly different center piece leaving Los Angeles; Yasiel Puig.

Now in his third year with the Dodgers, Puig has perhaps worn out his welcome with the club and his teammates, but he’s still undoubtedly a talented player that could possibly just require a change of address. At 24-years-old, the Cuban outfielder could still become a superstar if he can put the sideshow to bed.

It is feasible that the two teams could build a trade with Puig as the center piece and complemented by the additions of prospects Jose De Leon (RHP) and Darnell Sweeney (2B). Perhaps catcher Austin Barnes could be swapped in there as well. That would give the Phillies three solid prospects to build with, including a potential front-line starter as well as a second baseman for 2016 and a starting catcher two years down the road.

Then there is Puig.

Puig is already Major League ready and is controllable through the 2018 at season, at which time he’ll still make the reasonable sum of $9.214 million. He’s a career .299/.380/.491 hitter who has averaged 18 home runs over the last two seasons. He could easily supplant Dominic Brown or Jeff Franceur in right field in Philadelphia and give the Phillies a solid building block for the future.

Of course, Dodgers fans aren’t likely to agree with this idea either as Puig is a fan favorite. However, the team has more than enough outfield depth to easily replace him, opening up more consistent playing time for Alex Guerrero and Scott Van Slyke.

You’ve got to give a little to make a deal happen, and Hamels remains the best option on the trade market for controllable starting pitchers. With the Dodgers having a need, they may need to find an unconventional means to make it happen. We saw it last season with the Oakland Athletics and Yoenis Cespedes/Jon Lester.

Could Yasiel Puig be the surprise trade chip of the year?

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