BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 05: A general view of the Los Angeles Dodgers logo on an equipment bag in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 5, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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After a dramatic seven-game World Series last year, there is little love lost between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But on Thursday, news surfaced that a long-time Dodgers star outfielder would be looking to bring his talents north of the border while hoping for an embrace from Canadian baseball fans as he faces a potential prison sentence.
“Former MLB slugger Yasiel Puig is coming to Toronto,” TSN reported. “The Canadian Baseball League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, who play their home games at Christie Pits Park, have signed Puig to a contract for the 2026 season.”
Former Los Angeles Dodgers Star Yasiel Puig Joins Toronto Baseball Team After Illegal Gambling Verdict
Puig is expected to be in the starting lineup for the Maple Leafs in early May, but he has a pending court date that could affect his ability to play for the team. And, depending on how that appearance in court develops, he could have a longer absence from the diamond ahead.
“A jury has found former major league outfielder Yasiel Puig guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to federal officials investigating an illegal gambling operation,” the Associated Press reported in February. “The verdict came after a multiweek trial that featured testimony from Major League Baseball officials and Donny Kadokawa, a Hawaii baseball coach whom Puig placed bets through. Puig now faces up to 20 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced May 26.”
Following that verdict, Puig’s legal team claimed that the government failed to prove several critical aspects of its case. Puig’s attorneys also claimed that he had untreated mental health issues.
Toronto Baseball CEO Calls Los Angeles Dodgers Former All-Star ‘Exciting Player’
Despite the looming court date, the Maple Leafs have reason for optimism about Puig’s impact on the team. In a six-year career with the Dodgers, he slashed .279/.353/.478 with 108 homers and an All-Star appearance in 2014. After his Dodgers tenure, Puig also played for the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians before moving on to play professionally in Mexico, South Korea and Venezuela.
“We think he’s the most exciting player in men’s baseball who’s not playing in MLB right now,” Maple Leafs CEO Keith Stein told the Toronto Star. “And we think he’s better than a lot of guys who are in MLB, so we can’t believe our good fortune.”
Though Toronto’s major-league club has had some good reason to despise the Dodgers lately, the Maple Leafs will be happy to have the slugger contribute to their batting order. But Puig will have to navigate some critical legal proceedings as he tries to make a Canadian comeback.
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