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Mariners get catcher Carlos Ruiz in trade with Dodgers
The Seattle Mariners have added depth to their catcher corps, acquiring Carlos Ruiz in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for lefty reliever Vidal Nuno.
The teams announced the terms of the trade Monday.
"First and foremost, Carlos brings us a veteran presence with outstanding leadership qualities and a winning pedigree," Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. "His combination of strong on-base skills, situational awareness and game-calling ability are a welcome addition to the Mariners."
An All-Star in 2012, Ruiz had a combined .264 batting average in 2016 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 62 games with the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. He waived his no-trade clause to accept the trade.
As part of the deal, the Mariners also picked up the $4.5 million club option on Ruiz's contract for 2017.
Ruiz's addition gives Seattle three options behind the plate heading into spring training along with Mike Zunino and Jesus Sucre. Zunino started last season at Triple-A but became Seattle's primary catcher for the second half of the season, appearing in 53 of the final 67 games of the season. He hit .207 with 12 home runs and 31 RBIs.
The Dodgers acquired Ruiz and $1 million from Philadelphia in a midseason trade of popular backup catchers that sent A.J. Ellis, minor league pitcher Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named (or cash) to the Phillies.
In the 2016 postseason, Ruiz had a .273 average with one home run and four RBIs for the National League West-winning Dodgers. Ruiz, 37, previously played 46 games in the postseason with the Phillies, helping them win five NL East crowns.
Nuno appeared in a career-high 55 games last season for Seattle, with one start, and was 1-1 with a 3.53 ERA. He has been used as both a starter and reliever in his time with the Mariners. Nuno was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2015 season and has appeared in 126 career games with 42 starts.
The teams announced the terms of the trade Monday.
"First and foremost, Carlos brings us a veteran presence with outstanding leadership qualities and a winning pedigree," Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. "His combination of strong on-base skills, situational awareness and game-calling ability are a welcome addition to the Mariners."
An All-Star in 2012, Ruiz had a combined .264 batting average in 2016 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 62 games with the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. He waived his no-trade clause to accept the trade.
As part of the deal, the Mariners also picked up the $4.5 million club option on Ruiz's contract for 2017.
Ruiz's addition gives Seattle three options behind the plate heading into spring training along with Mike Zunino and Jesus Sucre. Zunino started last season at Triple-A but became Seattle's primary catcher for the second half of the season, appearing in 53 of the final 67 games of the season. He hit .207 with 12 home runs and 31 RBIs.
The Dodgers acquired Ruiz and $1 million from Philadelphia in a midseason trade of popular backup catchers that sent A.J. Ellis, minor league pitcher Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named (or cash) to the Phillies.
In the 2016 postseason, Ruiz had a .273 average with one home run and four RBIs for the National League West-winning Dodgers. Ruiz, 37, previously played 46 games in the postseason with the Phillies, helping them win five NL East crowns.
Nuno appeared in a career-high 55 games last season for Seattle, with one start, and was 1-1 with a 3.53 ERA. He has been used as both a starter and reliever in his time with the Mariners. Nuno was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2015 season and has appeared in 126 career games with 42 starts.