Dodgers acquire Ruiz from Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies said goodbye to one of their longest-tenured players Thursday, announcing they've traded catcher Carlos Ruiz and cash considerations to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for catcher A.J. Ellis, minor-league pitcher Tommy Bergjans, and a player to be named later.
Ruiz waived his 10-5 rights in order to join the NL West-leading Dodgers. He met with Phillies general manager Matt Klentak and manager Pete Mackanin on Wednesday to discuss the proposed trade, reports MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
Ruiz owns a .261/.368/.352 line with three home runs in 48 games this season while serving as a backup to Cameron Rupp. The 37-year-old has spent his entire career with the Phillies up to this point, and became one of the team's most popular players over his 11-year tenure, helping the team capture the 2008 World Series - he was behind the plate for the final out - as well as the 2009 NL pennant.
Thursday's trade leaves Ryan Howard as the last remaining member of the Phillies' roster to have played on their 2008 championship team.
"I am sad and happy at the same time," Ruiz said, according to Matt Gelb of Philly.com. "I really love Philadelphia and all the fans and my teammates. I know I'm going to miss them. I really appreciate everything we did together. But, on the other side, I am happy because of the chance to go to the playoffs."
Ruiz has a $4.5-million team option on his contract for 2017; if the Dodgers choose to decline it he'll become a free agent.
Ellis was one of the more popular players in the Dodgers' clubhouse and also served as Clayton Kershaw's personal catcher. The 35-year-old owns a .194/.285/.252 line this year while backing up Yasmani Grandal.
Like Ruiz, Ellis will be changing teams for the first time in his career.
"I'm almost out of tears now. ... It's a really sad day for me," Ellis told reporters, including MLB.com's Ken Gurnick and the Los Angeles Times' Andy McCullough.
Bergjans, 23, owns a 4.98 ERA and 1.285 WHIP in 24 appearances with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. He played his college baseball at Haverford College, located in a Philadelphia suburb.