It was a good run, but Yasiel Puig’s reign as Giants’ public enemy No. 1 has come to an end.
The Dodgers shipped off Puig, outfielder Matt Kemp, starting pitcher Alex Wood, and backup catcher Kyle Farmer to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, in exchange for starting pitcher Homer Bailey and two prospects. The move is seen as a salary dump for the Dodgers who are looking to clear cap room for the 2019 offseason. Los Angeles is also sending over $7 million in the trade according to ESPN.
The trade shaves off approximately $15 million off the Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll, and clears the way for Los Angeles to pursue Bryce Harper or another big name outfielder on the open market.
Puig, 28, was a frequent antagonist of the Giants during his six seasons in Dodger blue. Puig and Madison Bumgarner had a particular disdain for each other over the years, and confronted each other on multiple occasions.
The Giants’ frustration with Puig hit a boiling point on Aug. 14 of this year, when an argument between Puig and Hundley turned into a benches clearing scuffle between the two rivals.
Puig hasn’t been an All-Star since 2014, but is coming off a solid season with LA, posting a .267/.327/.494 slash line with 23 home runs in 125 games.
