The Los Angeles Dodgers drew plenty of criticism when they signed Yasiel Puig to a seven-year, $42 million contract in June 2012. Little was known of the then-21-year-old Cuban native, making the Dodgers’ lavish spending all the more perplexing.
Puig had a stellar showing with the Arizona League Dodgers and High-A Rancho Cucamonga, and rode that into a strong showing in his first Spring Training. He began the 2013 season in Double-A but was called up in June as injuries depleted the Dodgers’ outfield depth.
The dynamic talent took the Majors by storm, breathing life into a Dodgers team that was playing well below expectations.