The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a trade with the Athletics on Wednesday to acquire Esteury Ruiz in exchange for pitching prospect Carlos Duran.
Ruiz played in 132 games for the Athletics in 2023, but seemingly fell out of favor with the organization last season as he only appeared in 29 games.
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Ruiz began 2025 with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he played in two games before being designated for assignment by the Athletics on March 30.
Ruiz’s main calling card is his elite speed, with his 29.6 mph average sprint speed ranking in the 97th percentile among MLB players in 2023. He was also a demon on the base paths, grading out very well in terms of base running run value.
Outside of that, there is nothing eye catching about his production either offensively or defensively.
“I know he’s a plus-runner, really, astute baserunner, an outfielder,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Mark Kotsay, the manager, really liked him, going back and forth by way of text with Kots, but that’s about it. Not sure where he’s slated to go. And I just think that there’s some things that our hitting guys felt there’s some upside potential there.”
Offensively in 2023, Ruiz was able to avoid strikeouts at an above-average clip and was roughly middle of the road in terms of making contact.
Putting the ball in play is his best offensive approach because of the threat Ruiz’s speed presents. It’s evident by his .315 batting average on balls in play in 2023, but it could also be a sign that his overall .254 batting average was at least partly inflated by luck.
Ruiz led the American League with 67 stolen bases in 2023.
Where does Esteury Ruiz fit with Dodgers?
Ruiz has primarily been a center fielder for the Athletics, through he does have experience at both corner positions as well. He also has a high level of familiarity at second base in the Minors, with 220 games played. Although, Ruiz hasn’t played there since 2019.
The Dodgers entered 2025 with questions at both second base and center field. And while it’s unlikely that Ruiz will be used as a second baseman, the acquisition potentially fills a need in center field and is a good depth piece at the very least.
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