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Imagine my surprise when I fired up the ol’ internet machine today to see that Yasiel Puig has signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
You remember him — billed as MLB’s next humongous superstar when the Los Angeles Dodgers first called him up in 2013, and then he just sort of faded into obscurity.
Yes, that Yasiel Puig. But no, not those Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates running to first base after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning of Game Four of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, 2018. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The 35-year-old outfielder has signed with the Maple Leafs of the Canadian Baseball League, a semi-pro league based in Ontario. But the move comes at a particularly messy time in Puig’s life.
Just two months ago, Puig was found guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to federal investigators tied to an illegal sports gambling operation. He’s now facing up to 15 years in prison.
The case stems from a 2022 interview with investigators, where Puig denied details about his involvement in the gambling operation — including who he was betting with and how he handled his debts.
That came after he had already admitted to racking up more than $280,000 in losses while placing hundreds of bets on sports like tennis, football and basketball through a third party tied to the operation.
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Former Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig stands with his agent Lisette Carnet and attorney Zen Crump outside the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 11, 2023. (Brian Van Der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Puig hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since 2019, wrapping up a seven-year career that started with a bang and slowly fizzled out. He burst onto the scene with the Dodgers in 2013, hitting .319 with 19 home runs and finishing second in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
At his peak, Puig was one of the most electric players in baseball — big power, a rocket arm and a diva attitude. He made the All-Star team in 2014, bounced around a bit toward the end of his MLB run, and then eventually disappeared from the league altogether.
Yasiel Puig of Tiburones de la Guaira reacts in the fifth inning of the Serie del Caribe 2024 game between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic at loanDepot Park in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 1, 2024. (Luis Gutierrez/Norte Photo/Getty Images)
Now, I guess we’ll see if the guy’s still got it.
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The (baseball) Maple Leafs open their season on May 10. Puig is scheduled for sentencing on May 26.
In other words, this comeback story may be over before it even starts.
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