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Yasiel Puig won't be traded to unknown team that claimed him

MLB, Los Angeles Dodgers

The unknown team that claimed Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig on revocable waivers was more interested in blocking him from going to another team than in trading for him, a league source has told ESPN's Jim Bowden.

Puig, 25, was demoted to the minors earlier this month, a day after the Dodgers couldn't move him before the non-waiver trade deadline.

He told ESPN's Marly Rivera on Monday that he would have preferred a trade to another team instead of being demoted to the minors, but he also acknowledged he has learned some humility since joining the Dodgers' Triple-A team in Oklahoma City.

"The moment I arrived in L.A., people were crazy for me -- 50, 60 thousand people [cheering] at the stadium," Puig said in the interview with Rivera. "I got used to that amount of fans. Getting to Triple-A and not seeing as many fans is not very appealing or fun to play baseball, but this is what I have to do for my future."

Triple-A Oklahoma has advanced to the playoffs.

On Wednesday, the Dodgers revealed four players who will be added to their expanded roster this week. Puig was not among them, but he could be added during September call-ups.

Manager Dave Roberts said that he expects to have catcher/infielder Austin Barnes and pitchers Luis Avilan, Josh Ravin and Louis Coleman available to the major league club this weekend.

"Outside of that, we're still trying to figure out what is best for Yasiel," Roberts said.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was asked Tuesday if Puig was in the mix to be added to an expanded roster.

"I don't know the answer to that yet," Friedman said.

Puig was an All-Star in 2014 after a meteoric rise with the Dodgers, who signed the Cuban prospect to a $42 million, seven-year contract in June 2012. He hit 35 homers and drove in 111 runs while batting .305 in 2013-14, but he slipped to .255 last season while playing in just 79 games because of hamstring troubles.

Puig has been physically limited and largely inconsistent even when healthy this season, batting .260 with seven homers in 81 games. His on-base-plus-slugging percentage is down to a career-worst .706.

ESPN's Doug Padilla contributed to this report.

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