Andy Van Slyke says Kershaw wants Yasiel Puig traded from Dodgers
The former big-leaguer and father of current Dodger Scott Van Slyke said on CBS Sports Radio 920 in St. Louis that the team's ace pitcher wants Puig playing elsewhere in 2016.
By
Dayn Perry
•
1 min read
Former big-leaguer Andy Van Slyke, who's also the father of Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke, on Thursday talked to host Frank Cusumano on CBS Sports Radio 920 in St. Louis. On the subject of his son's Dodger teammate Yasiel Puig, here's what the elder Van Slyke had to say:
"This is just between you and I. When the best player -- the highest paid player on the Los Angeles Dodgers -- goes to the GM and ... is asked what are [the needs of the Los Angeles Dodgers], this particular highest-paid player said, 'The first thing you need to do is get rid of Puig.' That's all you need to know."
The highest-paid player on the Dodgers would be Clayton Kershaw, who checks in with a 2015 salary of $32.571 million and a 2016 salary of $34.571 million. Van Slyke wouldn't mention Kershaw by name, but the implication is clear.
As for Puig, he has been exceptionally productive in his young career, with an OPS+ of 141 and a total WAR of 11.3 across parts of three seasons. However, he has been prone to injuries and mental lapses on and off the field. As well, his occasional exuberance may rub some the wrong way.
There's no doubt that Puig is a skilled ballplayer who has been productive when healthy, but it's entirely possible that his demeanor has led some powerful Dodgers to decide he's no longer worth the hassle. Maybe that's a flawed way of thinking, but it's nonetheless quite plausible.
Beyond that, this can probably be characterized as "candor to excess" on Van Slyke's part. After all, "This is just between you and I [sic]" is kind of a pointless declaration when uttered in the course of, you know, a radio interview.
