The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers have swapped catchers. The Dodgers acquire catcher Carlos Ruiz and cash from the Phillies in exchange for catcher A.J. Ellis, minor league pitcher Tommy Bergjans, and a player to be named later.
Official: Phils trade Carlos Ruiz & cash to Dodgers for catcher A.J. Ellis, RHP Tommy Bergjans & a player to be named later.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) August 25, 2016
Philadelphia Phillies trade Carlos Ruiz to L.A. Dodgers for A.J. Ellis
The 37-year-old Ruiz has hit .261/.368/.352 over 193 plate appearances as the Phillies back-up catcher this year. He is expected to serve the same role with the Dodgers. Ruiz has raked against left-handers with an .830 OPS this season, considerably better than what Ellis is accomplishing. This could be important due to the strong left handers on both the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals. He has a $4.5 million club option for next season.
The 35-year-old Ellis has been very pedestrian with the bat. He has hit just 194/.285/.252 in 161 plate appearances this season. Ellis is a free agent at the end of the season, and it is unlikely that the Phillies will look to bring him back as they continue to rebuild their club.
Bergjans is a pitching prospect, playing in High-A ball in Rancho Cucamonga. He’s posted a 4.98 ERA with a 133/29 K/BB ratio in 130 innings. Bergjans has made 21 starts and three relief appearances.
Main Photo via Getty Images Sport
