In pursuit of Reds outfielder Jay Bruce, Dodgers could part with Yasiel Puig

Venturing down a path that could lead to Yasiel Puig’s departure from Los Angeles, the Dodgers have continued to show interest in acquiring Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce before Monday’s trade deadline, according to people familiar with the situation who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks.

The team has expressed a willingness to part with Puig, a departure for an organization that has clung to the mercurial outfielder in recent years.

It is unclear whether the Dodgers will accomplish either goal over the weekend. But the talk of a potential swap — Bruce coming and Puig going, in some form or fashion — raged through the industry Friday evening before the team kicked off a three-game series against Arizona.

As of Friday evening, the concept of Cincinnati accepting Puig as the sole return for Bruce appeared remote. ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported a more likely scenario: The Dodgers could participate in a multi-team deal, which has proved to be a specialty of Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations.

An unknown third team may be necessary to bring Bruce to Los Angeles, as the Dodgers might be unwilling to give up elite prospects for a talented but flawed player like Bruce. The third team could also become the landing spot for Puig.

Bruce is not the only player on the Dodgers’ radar, according to the people familiar with the situation. The team has also shown interest in Kansas City closer Wade Davis, Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer and a package involving Oakland starter Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick. Hill will miss his start this weekend due to a recurring blister, the uncertainty of which could diminish his value.

Puig was out of the lineup Friday for the sixth consecutive day due to tightness in his right hamstring. Manager Dave Roberts indicated the team did not need to place him on the disabled list, despite his lengthy absence, due to extra space created on the roster by the team’s use of a four-man starting rotation.

In an interview Friday, Dodgers owner Mark Walters said the baseball operations department had not alerted him to a pending deal involving Puig.

“I don’t think we’re moving him,” Walter said. “I don’t think we want to. I still think he’s got a lot of potential.”

The Dodgers view Bruce as a clear improvement over Puig, a reality acknowledged throughout the industry. Bruce would represent a defensive downgrade from Puig in right field, according to both advanced metrics and rival scouts. But he would add another source of left-handed power to the team’s lineup.

Bruce entered Friday’s games with 25 home runs and a career-high .895 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He will turn 30 in April. His contract includes a $13-million team option for 2017.

The gap between the two hitters is sizable. Injury-prone and ineffective at the plate, Puig has seen his OPS sink to a career-worst .693. Scouts have noticed a decrease in his athleticism, and opposing pitchers have overpowered him with fastballs.

His defensive play can still create highlights, but his occasional proclivity for lapses in concentration has hampered the team at times. Some in the organization believe a sizable amount of his defensive value derives from the team’s preordained shifts.

Even if the Reds are not interested in Puig, the Dodgers might be able to find another suitor. Puig is under contract through 2019. He could opt for arbitration after this season, or he could play for the guaranteed $17.4 million owed him in 2017 and 2018.

Friedman has a history of negotiating multi-team trades. Just last winter, he plucked Trayce Thompson, Frankie Montas and Micah Johnson from the Chicago White Sox in a three-team deal involving Cincinnati. During his first winter running the Dodgers, Friedman reshaped the roster in a series of interlocking deals involving Miami, San Diego, Philadelphia and the Angels.

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

Twitter: @McCulloughTimes