Mariners working on a trade for Dodgers’ Carlos Ruiz
Published 1:30 am Sunday, November 6, 2016
SEATTLE — The Mariners are poised to acquire veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a twitter post by Jon Heyman of www.fanragsports.com.
There was no immediate confirmation from the Mariners. A report by Joel Sherman of MLB Network said the Mariners are surrendering a pitcher from their 40-man roster.
The Dodgers currently hold a $4.5 million option on Ruiz, 37, with a $500,000 buyout. The Dodgers had been expected to decline the option.
Ruiz is an 11-year veteran who spent his entire career with Philadelphia before an Aug. 25 trade sent him to the Dodgers as part of a multi-player deal. He batted a combined .264 this season, with three homers and 15 RBI in 62 games.
Such a move, presumably, would position Ruiz as a replacement for Chris Iannetta as the primary backup to Mike Zunino. Iannetta became a free agent last Thursday when the Mariners chose not to exercise a $4.5 million option for 2017.
Ruiz has a .266 average and a .352 on-base percentage over 1,083 career games. He rated at plus-four in runs saved above average this season as computed by Baseball Info Solutions.
