According to a report, the Los Angeles Dodgers have traded Carlos Ruiz to the Seattle Mariners. Here’s what we know so far.
The Seattle Mariners have acquired Carlos Ruiz from the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to MLB Insider Jon Heyman. Ruiz was acquired by Los Angeles in a late August trade and went on to be a big part of their postseason run.
His biggest contribution to the Dodgers came in Game 5 of the NLDS, putting them up 2-1 on a pinch hit RBI single in the seventh inning. He hit .250 in 12 postseason at bats.
The trade that landed Ruiz in Los Angeles sent long time Dodger A.J Ellis to Philadelphia. It was a move that was heavily scrutinized in the media and sent shock waves through the sport. Both fans and media were worried about disrupting the state of the locker room since A.J. Ellis was such a big part of the organization.
He was one of the longest tenured Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw’s personal catcher. Things quieted down once Ruiz got on the field, he hit .278 in the regular season and was an obvious upgrade over Ellis.
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It is not yet clear as to what the Dodgers will be getting in return for Ruiz, but Seattle is expected to pick up his $4.5 million club option for 2017. Los Angeles got exactly what they were expecting from the 37-year-old Ruiz — a veteran with playoff experience to help with their postseason push.
Now with their season in the rear view mirror, he seems to be expendable. They have a switch hitting All-Star catcher in Yasmani Grandal, plus a 26-year-old backup in Austin Barnes.
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It seems the Mariners will have a much bigger role for the veteran catcher. None of Seattle’s catchers played 100 games last year and one of them (Steve Clevenger) was released because of his off-field problems. I’m sure Ruiz wanted to give it another go with the Dodgers, but he will be getting a lot more game action in Seattle.