Yasiel Puig is not the solution to Cleveland Indians hitting woes

Fans think Yasiel Puig will cure the problems of the Cleveland offense. That’s not true.

Fans think Yasiel Puig will fix the offense if the Cleveland Indians were to re-sign him but he can’t play six positions. The team let Puig go in the offseason after deciding he wasn’t worth his salary for the 2020 season. It’s no shock the Indians cut payroll after a few years of having a team-record in salary and it isn’t anything new. The only difference between 2020 and other times the team cut payroll in the past is that the current Indians are mostly still really good.

Spending money, for the sake of spending money, is part of the reason the MLB is such a mess. Players like Puig aren’t worth what their agents demand for them. Case in point, Puig didn’t sign anywhere until July. He signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves before testing positive for COVID-19 and seeing his contract pulled. Puig could sign with Cleveland for one year, but considering he wasn’t in either spring or summer training, there’s no telling what shape he’s in. That’s why it’s not wise to sign Puig.

Especially if he too needs four to five weeks to get back into shape.

Fans keep forgetting, this is not a marathon season, it’s a sprint. The team can ill-afford this slow start already and they can’t continue to let guys struggle if they expect to win. Either correct them fast or pull them. Otherwise, the division’s a lost cause.

Beyond that, Puig isn’t playing six spots at once. It’s not just Jordan Luplow who’s struggling. It’s Oscar Mercado, Sandy Leon, and Domingo Santana. Carlos Santana and Franmhil Reyes are finally coming around, but that’s only been the last few games. Even Francisco Lindor is still hitting well below his standard norm and Bradley Zimmer is being forced to platoon with the Mercado, Domingo, and Luplow types instead of getting consistent opportunities.

Puig can’t play all of those spots and complaining that the Indians need to spend money doesn’t make any sense considering that it’s not a guaranteed method for wining. Look at the Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, and Chicago White Sox. All of them spent huge bucks over the last few years, and all of them are right where the Cleveland Indians are; dancing around .500. Plus with the Padres and Angels, their payrolls are toast for the foreseeable future.

The team needs more help than overpaid free agents who historically never live up to their contracts. They need to develop their minor leaguers better so there’s a steady influx of talent ready to go. That doesn’t help the team in 2020, obviously, but it’s about as good as signing Puig to maybe help out for 30 games.