(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
The potential loss of an All-Star caliber catcher, and one of the best defensive catchers in the game, had to be looming over the Phillies’ heads, prior to re-signing the nine year veteran (all with Philadelphia) and All-Star to a lucrative deal on Monday.
Ruiz and the Phillies agreed to a $26 million dollar, 3-year deal that will keep him a Philadelphia Phillie for at least another three years (and overall, a decade almost) potentially. The contract also includes a club option for 2017.
Ruiz, in the thin market this off-season for catchers, was heavily pursued and contacted by numerous teams, many of which were contenders or playoff teams this past season, including Boston, the Yankees, and Colorado, among others.
Last season was a tough one, to say the least, for Ruiz. Not only was he officially suspended by Major League Baseball for 25 games, just over a year ago, prior to the 2013 season, due to testing positive for an amphetamine, but he performed poorly on the field as well offensively- perhaps due to his body weaning itself off of the drugs.
Tags: Baseball, Carlos Ruiz, catcher, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, Phils, Tommy Joseph
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