Puig signs with Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team

Former Major League Baseball All-Star Yasiel Puig will play in Toronto this season, but it won't be for the Blue Jays.

The 35-year-old outfielder signed a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the independent Canadian Baseball League, formerly known as the Intercounty Baseball League.

"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 Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star.

The Maple Leafs did not disclose contract details, but Puig will receive the largest deal in league history, according to Wilner.

The club plays its home games for free at Dominico Field at Christie Pits Park.

"We care about Christie Pits," Stein said. "We care about that part of Toronto, we care about offering the highest-level baseball free of charge."

Puig spent seven seasons in MLB with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Guardians. The 2013 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up slashed .277/.348/.475 with 132 home runs during that time.

In February 2026, Puig was found guilty in U.S. federal court of obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal officials in connection to an illegal sports gambling operation. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 26 and could face up to 20 years in prison.

The Cuban has not played in the majors since 2019. He nearly signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2020 before a positive COVID-19 test caused the agreement to fall apart.

In March 2021, MLB investigators interviewed a woman who said Puig sexually assaulted her in a Staples Center bathroom in 2018. Reporting later in 2021 revealed Puig had reached confidential settlement agreements with two other women who alleged he sexually assaulted them in 2017.

MLB did not place Puig on administrative leave and no charges were filed. He spent the next six seasons playing in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, and South Korea.

"We carried out extensive diligence (before signing Puig)," Stein told Wilner.

"We've had discussions with lots of people. The ... issues have been dealt with by the justice system, by other, more qualified parties. We are focused on what is the best talent that we can put on the field that's going to represent the Toronto Maple Leafs in a way we can be proud of. We think that he is really on the right track in his personal life."