Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig is returning to the KBO League, the highest level of professional baseball in Korea. Puig was recently playing with the Tiburones de La Guaira of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, but is now returning to Korea to play baseball.
Puig announced this change on social media earlier this week in Spanish.
“With deep admiration and affection for the fans of La Guaira and all of Venezuela, I tell you from the bottom of my heart how grateful I am for your support and acceptance of this humble madman who only came to want to bring you the best of sport,” Puig wrote on X.
With deep admiration and affection for the fans of La Guaira and all of Venezuela, I tell you from the depths of my heart how grateful I am for your support and acceptance of this humble madman who only came to want to bring you the best of sport.
Thanks to my agent… pic.twitter.com/h2672iRdlV— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) November 6, 2024
The entirety of Puig’s post translated in English to:
“With deep admiration and affection for the fans of La Guaira and all of Venezuela, I tell you from the bottom of my heart how grateful I am for your support and acceptance of this humble madman who only came to want to bring you the best of the sport. Thank you to my agent and to the people in the organization of the Tiburones who never fail me or stop supporting me to have new and great opportunities.”
“Due to matters of a contract proposal for 2025, which was already in motion when I signed again here, my new team has asked me to retire from playing this winter to prepare my new path.
This was a very difficult but necessary decision at this time in my life, and I always want to give the best of myself to the people who trust me for their teams.
“I love Venezuela and this is not a goodbye forever, the opportunity is still open to return to my beloved Guaira. I continue to support our beloved team in bringing the best players so they can see that second championship!”
Puig, who was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, signed with the Dodgers in 2012 on a seven-year deal. Puig made his MLB debut in 2013, and spent six seasons with the Dodgers. Puig became an MLB All-Star in 2014, and helped the Dodgers advance to the World Series in 2017 and 2018, though the Dodgers lost both series.
Following the 2018 season, Puig was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He spent the first half of the 2019 season with the Reds, before they traded him to Cleveland.
Since the 2019 season, Puig has played in the Dominican Professional Baseball League, the Mexican League, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, and the KBO League.
