Phillies: Top 5 free agents still available during the break

#1. Yasiel Puig

Love him or hate him, there’s absolutely no denying the fact that Yasiel “The Wild Horse” Puig has some raw talent when it comes to playing baseball.

Even with all of Puig’s off the field issues and locker room troubles, it’s pretty unbelievable that the power-hitting outfielder is still available on the open market. Most fans and analysts around the league were expecting Puig to command quite the bidding war based on marketability alone. Obviously, things haven’t quite worked out that way for the ever controversial ex-Dodger.

After a pretty dominant first six years in the league with the LA Dodgers, Puig was ultimately traded away due to concerns over his work ethic and character. Puig was arrested twice for reckless driving and had reportedly garnered a reputation for refusing to practice or watch film.

Despite all this, Puig continued to deliver at the plate. During his time with the Dodgers, Puig hit .279, drove in 300+ RBIs, and launched 108 homers.

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Puig was traded to the Reds prior to the 2019 season, and then traded again to the Indians at the deadline. Puig spent part of his tenure in Cleveland suspended (due to an on the field brawl) before eventually playing 49 games as an Indian. While his power numbers dipped in the latter half of the year, his batting average climbed up near .300.

The Phillies are seemingly pretty set at the outfield position. Bryce Harper obviously is locking down right field, whereas Andrew McCutchen, Adam Haseley, Jay Bruce, and Roman Quinn make up an above average rotation in left/center field.

However, Haseley is ultimately an unproven commodity and Quinn, Bruce, and Cutch have all been injured recently. If Puig has given up on trying to secure a big time pay day, adding his power to the lineup does nothing but improve the lineup.

While keeping Puig “in check” has proven challenging in the past (he’s called the Wild Horse for a reason), Joe Girardi is about as qualified of a manager as there is to do the job.