Cleveland Indians: 3 free agents that could make a difference in the lineup

Yasiel Puig – 29 years old – Outfield

After a positive COVID-19 test essentially canceled his deal with the Braves, Yasiel Puig still remains a free agent and long after his battle with the virus should be over. Now, he could be the hottest name on the market for teams needing a final push to the playoffs.

The Indians’ uniform was the last one that Puig put on and it could very well be the next. His spot in right field is still a rotating door for Cleveland as they haven’t been able to land a trio of consistent outfielders, thus the reason all three players in this can play the outfield.

After arriving in Cleveland as part of the Trevor Bauer trade, tabbed as one of the more memorable deadline moves of late by the Indians, Puig was a big part of the Indians late season success. Puig was able to log 23 RBI in Cleveland while slashing .297/.377/.423.

Being a dangerous presence at the plate, Puig would be able to slot in behind Reyes in the order, helping to solidify the middle of the order once again for the Tribe while also locking down one of the three question marks in the outfield.

The one upside to Puig that the rest of this list doesn’t provide is potential beyond this season. At just 29 years old he would be one of the two oldest outfielders on the roster with Naquin, but he also could re-sign and produce for multiple years. He tried the free agent route this past year and it didn’t go the way he would have liked, so maybe a year later he would opt to stay.