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With catcher Carlos Ruiz a free agent this offseason, the Phillies had three catchers on their 40 man roster: Erik Kratz, Sebastian Valle and Cameron Rupp, so one would think they would be in the market for a starting catcher this offseason.
Well, they didn't wait too long as according to ESPN's Jayson Stark, they re-signed Ruiz to a three year deal:
#Phillies deal w Ruiz pays him $8.5M in each of next three seasons, with a $4.5-M option or $500,000 buyout. Also can block deals to 4 teams
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) November 18, 2013
The Phillies are laying out a good sum of money for a soon to be 35 year old catcher, eh?
Last season, Ruiz played in just 92 games, hitting .268-.320-.368 with 5 home runs, 37 runs and 30 RBI in 341 plate appearances. Ruiz missed the first 25 games of the season due to his suspension for using a banned amphetamine, and missed almost a month due to a strained right hamstring.
I didn't rank Ruiz in my updated top 20 fantasy catchers for 2014 recently, mainly due to his age and I wasn't sure if he would sign as a starting catcher or a backup. This signing won't push him into my top 20 catchers for 2014, as he is more of a second catcher type in two catcher leagues.
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