While president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s track record suggested the Los Angeles Dodgers would complete at least one trade in August, that A.J. Ellis was involved came as a shock.
Prior to the Aug. 25 trade, Ellis was the longest-tenured player in the Dodgers organization. He was selected by Los Angeles in the 18th round of the 2003 Draft, and made his Major League debut with the club in 2008.
For as much as news of Ellis being traded stunned the Dodgers’ clubhouse, so too did Carlos Ruiz leaving the Philadelphia Phillies. Ruiz signed with the Phillies as a free agent in 1998.
He became a staple behind the plate for Philadelphia and was a regular thorn in the Dodgers’ side. In similar fashion to Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, Ruiz also thanked the city and fans left behind.
The veteran catcher did so by placing a billboard along I-95, via Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
A farewell message seen on I-95: pic.twitter.com/bpMg47XvEb
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 14, 2016
Ruiz left a hand-written message on the day of the trade. He’s 2-for-13 with two walks in six games (four starts) with the Dodgers.
The 37-year-old Ruiz has a $4.5 million club option and $500,000 buyout on his contract for next season.
