The veteran catcher, acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in August, again waived his no-trade clause and was flipped to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday in a deal that will net the Dodgers an undisclosed pitcher, baseball insider Jon Heyman first reported. The report said the Mariners plan to pick up a $4.5 million club option for Ruiz, who turns 38 before the start of next season.
Ruiz came to Los Angeles in a curious waiver trade Aug. 22 that sent clubhouse favorite A.J. Ellis, the personal catcher of ace Clayton Kershaw, to the Phillies. A prospect was also included in the deal.
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Added to bolster the Dodgers’ postseason roster, the former All-Star made 12 plate appearances in the playoffs, batting .273/.333/.636 with a home run and four RBIs. He finished the regular season with a .264/.365/.348 slash line.
Ruiz is a few seasons removed from handling everyday catcher duties, but he’s known for an ability to work with a pitching staff. With the Mariners, he’ll likely take the place of free-agent-to-be Chris Iannetta as a second-stringer to Mike Zunino, the once-touted prospect who is overdue to make good on his potential.
