Chicago Cubs trade outfielder Justin Ruggiano to the Seattle Mariners for a minor league pitcher
The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Justin Ruggiano from the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday for minor league pitcher Matt Brazis, according to Bleacher Report.
The Mariners set the goal of acquiring right-handed bats this offseason to help balance their left-heavy lineup, and they sort of accomplished that this offseason. Ruggiano will join fellow outfielder Nelson Cruz as the newest members of the Mariners.
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Last season with the Cubs, Ruggiano hit .281 with six home runs and 28 RBIs in 81 games.
While Ruggiano isn’t Melky Cabrera or the big-name player the Mariners were looking for, I think he’s the perfect fit for this team they’re building in Seattle. Ruggiano just had his second-best statistical season, and the Mariners need stable outfielders who can fill-in for injured players, play all three outfield spots, and hit with a little bit of power.
Before last season, the 32-year-old Ruggiano had hit 31 total home runs in two seasons with the Miami Marlins. If he can find that power, Ruggiano will see a lot of playing time for Seattle.
Safeco Field isn’t conducive to many home runs, as Robinson Cano found out last season, but with such a big park, there are huge gaps in the outfield that a player like Ruggiano can exploit by hitting line-drives in those gaps.
Ruggiano won’t be an everyday player with Mariners, who will likely start Austin Jackson in center, Dustin Ackley in left, and Cruz in right to start the season. But, as the season goes on, I think Cruz is going to be playing a lot of DH, especially with better fielders, James Jones, Ruggiano, and Stefan Romero as the reserve outfielders.
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