Former Los Angeles Dodgers Phenom Yasiel Puig Returning to KBO

The one-time All-Star and former Los Angeles Dodger, Cincinnati Red and Cleveland Guardian will be returning for his second stint in South Korean-based baseball league, the KBO, in 2025.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig runs during a World Series game against the Boston Red Sox on Oct. 28, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

A player that at one time seemed like one of the best young players in the game has found his baseball home for the 2025 season.

Former Los Angeles Dodger, Cincinnati Red, Cleveland Guardian and 2014 All-Star Yasiel Puig will play with the Kiwoom Heroes of the South Korea-based Korean Baseball Organization for 2025, it was announced via reporter Yussef Diaz. That report was relayed via Shawn Spradling.

Per @yusseff305, Yasiel Puig is returning to the KBO to play for the Kiwoom Heroes

🇨🇺 | 🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/SMQ3YUIoL7

— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) November 7, 2024

It will be Puig's second stint with the KBO and the Heroes in the last three years. He previously played with Kiwoom in 2022. In Puig's last season in Korea, he hit .277 with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs in 126 games played.

It will be Puig's sixth consecutive year playing internationally.

Puig played seven seasons in the major leagues from 2013-19 with the Dodgers, Reds and Guardians. He was originally signed as an international free agent out of Cuba on June 29, 2012.

Puig was once one of the most exciting young players in the league. In his debut season in 2013, he played 104 games and batted .319 with 19 home runs and 42 RBIs. In his first full season in 2014, he hit .296 with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs.

Yasiel Puig (20) Solo Home Run
8/4/2017

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Opponent: New York Mets
Pitcher: Jacob deGrom
Innings: Top 2nd

Puig hammers a deep solo over the left-field wall to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead and aggressively kisses his hitting coach Turner Ward 😙 pic.twitter.com/GT1nSxglz7

— Paul☘️🇺🇸 #LateLightning⚡ (@Paul25MVPearce) August 6, 2024

In Puig's last major league season, he was traded to Cincinnati during the offseason on Dec. 21, 2018. Cleveland acquired him just seven months later on July 31, 2019.

Puig hit .267 with 24 home runs and 84 RBIs in 149 games played in his last major league season in 2019.

Puig was set to play with the Atlanta Braves during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, but the deal was nixed when Puig tested positive for COVID-19.

Since then, he's played Dominican Professional League's Toros del Este (2020-21), the Mexican League's El Águila de Veracruz in 2021 and 2024 and the Heroes in the aforementioned 2022 season.

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