Indians' Puig winning over teammates following midseason trade
Yasiel Puig has made a few friends in the Cleveland Indians' clubhouse since joining the team in a blockbuster deal prior to the trade deadline.
The outfielder has a reputation around the league thanks to his exuberant play that, at times, has rubbed some players the wrong way.
Indians first baseman Carlos Santana said he was concerned when he heard about the trade, and that manager Terry Francona asked him to talk to Puig when he arrived, according to Nathalie Alonso of MLB.com.
"I'm really surprised. He’s a cool guy," Santana said. "I think he adjusted quickly to the team, with so many Latino players here. He feels comfortable.
"When he got here, I spoke with him. I told him that here we come to play baseball and play it hard. I think he got my message, and he’s been playing hard."
Outfielder Franmil Reyes landed in Cleveland from the San Diego Padres in a three-team deal that saw right-hander Trevor Bauer head to the Cincinnati Reds.
"A lot of people might say, 'That guy is a clown. Why does he do that?' Things like that," Reyes said.
"Those who don’t know him, who haven’t spent time with him, don’t know and think differently. But coming here and having him as a teammate and seeing the kind of guy he is, he changed my mind completely."
Despite the reputation, Puig isn't about to change the way he plays the game.
"I like playing the way I do because it gives me the energy I need to give my best on the field and get the results that my teammates and the team want," he said. "Everyone is free to criticize whatever they want. It’s a free country."
The 28-year-old is slashing .288/.360/.450 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 21 games with the Indians. For the season, Puig has 24 round-trippers - just four off the career-high 28 he hit with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017.
Puig is slated to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign.