Puig Signs With Minor Pro Team as Prison Term For Illegal Gambling Looms
Jesse M. Cox Published 28/04/2026
We don't know if former Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasel Puig is a student of history. What we do know is that he is following a similar path to the most infamous MLB players who got involved with illegal gambling.
The eight Chicago White Sox players who were suspended for life from baseball after having been found to have taken money to throw the 1919 World Series turned to independent pro leagues to continue playing the game. Some of them made their way to Canada.
Puig, who is awaiting sentencing for his involvement in an illegal gambling outfit, is following suit. He has signed a contract to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Canadian Baseball League.
Puig could be going to prison next month
Puig is expected to be in the lineup when the Maple Leafs open their season on May 10. Just how long he'll be in the lineup beyond that date will be determined in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.
An investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California into an illegal gambling ring operating in Southern California led investigators to Puig. He was found to have made hundreds of bets through this illegal operation on football, basketball, and tennis. He lost over $1 million, although there was no evidence that Puig ever paid his massive gambling debts. Puig placed many of these bets at MLB ballparks just before and after games in which he played.
When investigators interviewed Puig about his involvement with the gambling operation, he was found to have lied to federal agents on several occasions. In February, Puig was convicted on one count each of obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal officials.
Judge Dolly M. Gee will rule on the length of Puig's sentence on May 26. Puig, 35, could face a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.
He was once an MLB All-Star
A Cuban defector, Puig became an MLB star after debuting with the Dodgers in 2013.
He batted .319 as a rookie in 2013 and was runner-up in National League rookie-of-the-year balloting. Puig clouted a career-high 28 home runs in 2017. He was voted to the National League's starting lineup for the MLB All-Star Game in 2014. He played in two World Series with the Dodgers in 2017 and 2018.
The outfielder also played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians during an MLB career that lasted from 2013 through 2018. Since leaving MLB, Puig has played in South Korea, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Mexico.
Puig was signed to the largest contract in league history
While the specific details of Puig's contract with the Maple Leafs were not announced, it was revealed that he would be the highest-paid player in league history. The Canadian Baseball League is a summer league that generally fields rosters populated by college-aged athletes. However, it's not unusual to see former big-league players perform in the league. Last season, Fernando Rodney, closer for the 2006 American League champion Detroit Tigers, pitched for the Hamilton Cardinals.
Maple Leafs officials are choosing to focus on Puig's talent, and not the gambling issues that could see him wearing prison stripes.
“We carried out extensive diligence,” Stein told the Toronto Sun. “We’ve had discussions with lots of different people. The issues have been dealt with by the justice system, by other, more qualified parties.
"We think that he is really on the right track in his personal life."
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