Why is Yasiel Puig not in the MLB?

To say that Yasiel Puig has been a frustrating player may be a gross understatement and hivs baseball career has been the true essence of a rollercoaster ride.

From joining the Dodgers as a Cuban defector to becoming a legitimate super prospect and then having a brief stint as one of the most electric MLB players before ultimately being out of the league six years after his debut, Puig now finds himself in hot water with the authorities as he pled guilty to lying to federal agents during an illegal gambling investigation.

"#BREAKING Former @Dodgers outfielder/slugger Yasiel Puig pleads guilty to lying to FBI about illegal gambling operation. Here’s the DOJ release." - Steve Chiotakis

The felony charge is the latest in a string of behavioral issues that contributed to his downfall in the MLB. He missed games during his MLB career multiple times due to his involvement in different brawls, as well as almost missing a game for making obscene gestures toward the crowd in Cleveland.

While his behavior has not helped his career, he has also struggled with health at times in his career, missing games on several occasions due to various injuries. He only managed 79 games in 2015 because of a recurring hamstring issue.

Despite all the health issues and suspensions, Puig remained a productive player throughout his time in the MLB. During his time in the Majors, he finished with 132 home runs, 415 RBIs, and 79 stolen bases. If he never plays in the MLB again, which seems likely, he finished his career with 18.6 WAR (wins above replacement) and a .277 batting average over seven seasons.

"Yasiel Puig dude was insanely talent just could not figure it out lol" - @JDodgersLA

Now that Puig's career seems all but over, he will forever be one of the biggest "what-ifs" in MLB history.

Yasiel Puig's journey to the MLB

If the story of the slugger's rise and fall wasn't crazy enough, the journey he went through to get to the MLB somehow tops it.

Beginning in 2009, Puig attempted to defect to Mexico from Cuba 13 different times. At one point, he was essentially being kidnapped by a murderous drug cartel known as Los Zetas, who threatened him with machetes unless they received payment.

Allegedly, a man named Raul Pacheco paid smugglers $250,000 to get Puig out of Cuba. In exchange, Pacheco was to receive 20% of Puig's career earnings. A month later, the captain of the smuggling ship was found dead in Cancun.

According to court records, Yasiel Puig has paid $1.3 million to Pacheco, and hundreds of thousands to various other men involved in the scheme to get him out of Cuba.

"(No throwing rotten tomatoes!) I sort of feel sorry for Puig. So much potential, only to be manipulated. From his escape from Cuba to his signing with the MLB, fast wealth with no financial education to this latest criminal issue. Yes, he’s an adult, but no less manipulated." - bittergiantsfan