Will the Real Keibert Ruiz Please Step Up?

Posted By on March 8, 2020

KayBear Ruiz was signed at the tender age of 16 for $140,000 on his birthday, July 20, 2014. In 2015, he hit .300 for the Dominican Dodgers at age 16. In 2016, he split time between Ogden and Arizona, hitting a combined .374 with a .412 OB%. He was still just 17. Before the 2017 season, and still just 18 years old, Ruiz was named the #20 prospect in the Dodgers Farm System.

That year, between Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga, Keibert proceeded to hit .316 with a .361 OB%, causing him to be the #3 ranked Dodger Prospect, behind Walker Buehler and Alex Verdugo. Baseball America gave Ruiz a 60 Rating, while Verdugo at #2 was a 55. For the record, Striker Buehler was given a 65 rating. At 60, Ruiz was considered a “Plus” Prospect. He hit 8 HR is 2017 as he seemed to be learning elevate his swing. BA wrote this about him:

“Ruiz has to shore up his throwing and become a more consistent reciever. If he does, he has a chanceto be an extraordinarily valuable switch-hitting , middle-of-the-order catcher.”

In 2108, Ruiz spent the entire season at Tulsa, where, as a 19-year-old, he hit .268 with a .328 OB% and hit 12 HR. In 415 AB’s he walked 26 times and struck out 33 times. That’s an otherworldly strikeout rate! He then went to the Arizona Fall League where he proceeded to hit .286 with a .357 OB% and struck out just 2 times in 56 AB’s.

The future looked very bright heading into 2019 and Baseball America ranked him the Dodgers #1 Prospect at the ripe old age of 20! He projected as an excellent defensive catcher and it was easy to say that his occasional mental lapses could likely be attributed to his youth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYjzKpPBu6s

In 2018, the Dodgers re-tooled Will Smith’s swing and he nearly doubled his home run total. It only stood to reason that they could do the same thing with Keibert. However, it did not happen. Ruiz repeated AA again and regressed in some ways. Near the end of the season, when Will Smith was called up to LA, Kaybear was called up to OKC and hit .316 with a .350 OB% in 40 plate appearances. He also hit 2 HR and struck out just once in 40 AB’s. His season was cut short due to a broken hand. Was he finally figuring it out or was it just the juiced ball?

So, what can we expect from Ruiz? BA downgraded him to a 55 Prospect Rating. Good, but no longer great. The issue is whether he will be able to transition into a power hitter who strikes out more frequently. Therein lies a problem… I believe. We have history to look at. Will Smith, who is 4 years older has 6 seasons in college, the minors and in MLB. Let’s look at Smith’s stats:

2,030 PA 227 BB 405 SO .260 BA .363 OB%

Compare Will Smith to Keibert’s 5 seasons:

1,636 PA 104 BB 150 SO .299 BA .351 OB%

Ruiz rarely walks and even more rarely… strikes out. I have watched many games with Ruiz… and his bat-to-ball skills are second to none. However, is that a skill that will help a slow-footed catcher? It might help Terrance Gore, but Ruiz? I am no longer so sure.

If I were the Dodgers, I would quit trying to “re-tool” his swing. Elite bat-to-ball skill is rare. I see what his stats are and that’s one thing… but what about the “eye test?” To me, he passes. Today BA has Keibert ranked again as the Dodgers #3 Prospect:

“Ruiz will try to get back on track at Triple-A in 2020. He’s still far ahead of most catchers his age and has a chance to make his major leagie debut by 22. ”

That’s why I say, “This is a make or break year for Ruiz.” It’s not like he’s done if he doesn’t do something spectacular, but while progression is not linear, I believe that this year is vital to his development. If he doesn’t step it up a notch or two, then he is destined to be a career backup… and while that ain’t chopped liver, it wasn’t what I thought Keibert Ruiz would be.

I believed Kaybear would be a star: a switch-hitting middle-of-the-order catcher who plays in an occasional All-Star game. I am not giving up on his being that player… yet. However, if I am wrong, I’ll have to add another one to Andy LaRoche – I still haven’t figured out what happened to him.

We will watch Ruiz at OKC and I know that I will be tuning in a lot. OKC should be loaded this year and not with just AAAA players like past years. I am still a fan of Ruiz, but I hope Will Smith can duplicate what he did last year… the thing is, I am not convinced he will. He still has some big holes in his swing. He has struck out 7 times in his 19 AB’s this spring. That’s concerning, even though it’s a small sample. That’s what I see…. and really hope I am wrong. We are about to find out. The good news is: Austin Barnes looks like he might have remembered how to hit… finally… maybe.

Dodger Spring Training Rants & Raves

  • Baez, Kelly, Graterol, Alexander, Gonsolin, Santana, Ferguson, Stripling, Treinen, and Jansen are all pitching at a high level (already) and all of them can’t make the team. What a great problem! Friedman has quietly fixed the bullpen… and it could be a real strength this season.
  • David Price was allegedly hitting 94-95 MPH and looked like an Ace. He looks better than I have seen him in years.
  • The possibility exists that Gavin Lux will not make the 26-man roster at the start of the season. Not saying he won’t… just that the possibility exists. He can hit his way on or off the roster.
  • Zach McKinstry deserves to make the team. He is playing the way Lux is supposed to.
  • Chris Taylor has made the most of his opportunities.
  • 3 of Kike’s 5 hits are HR’s and he still frustrates many fans with his tantalizing clutch hits only to look lost at other times.
  • At some point, there will be trades. The Dodgers have too many prospects ready right now and could “reset” by trading for some younger prospects… or not.
  • I remain unconvinced that AJ Pollock will add anything significant to the team this year. I still believe he was a mistake… show me otherwise!
  • Russell Martin is still out there….
  • Jimmy Nelson has resumed baseball activities and will allegedly throw a bullpen session today.
  • This place is becoming Animal House… a Bear and Badger? I think we are better for it. Welcome you filthy animals! I think the picture below is pretty accurate…

Today’s Music

This article has 103 Comments

  1. Well Mark, ya got the look on the Bears face right. Pollock may be a mistake, but trust me, they are not just going to walk away and dump that contract. And remember, there was a portion of last year that Pollock was their best hitter. He had a terrible playoff, but then so did almost the entire team. And Bellinger has not exactly set the world on fire in the post season. Pollock is a pro. He approaches the game the right way. As long as he stays healthy he will get playing time. 15 mil due, and 31 mil over 21 and 22. Unless they do a salary dump, I doubt he goes anywhere. He has virtually the same stats against L and RH pitching. He has had more AB’s against righty’s. So there might be some really tough RH out there that they will start him over Joc. Joc has 3 weeks to get ready for the season. I have little doubt he will be on the opening day roster. I also think this is a make or break year for Ruiz. Barnes right now is outplaying all of the catchers. Smith is striking out too much and not making contact.

    1. Michael – great to see you over here.

      You will make this place even better.

      1. My ego is big enough already, don’t blow it up anymore…..LOL….thanks Watford. Me smokem peace pipe…..not really, just love my Dodgers.

  2. I’m still on board the Kaybear train. For the life of me I don’t understand why an organization would try to increase swing and miss rate. Bat to ball skills is a rare gift, we’d be wise to nurture it. Hit it hard and hit it often and good things will happen. He’s still young. Defense will improve and decent power will come with age. Unless ……

    A broken hand is obviously a big deal to a hitter. I read it was a finger. Which hand I don’t know. Is it healed? Does he have 100% hand strength? I agree this is an important year for him. Ruiz was the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in ‘17. With Cartaya now rising, Ruiz may become expendable. I hope not. I still prefer line drive hitters to swing for fences blind squirrels.

  3. Marshall Tucker Band. One of my favorites. Lost a little of their spark when Tommy Caldwell died. He was the bass player. His brother Toy was the lead singer. Then Toy died in 1993. But the band still exists today. Only one original member is left, Doug Gray who is their lead singer. Tommy Caldwell and his younger brother Timmy were both killed in car wrecks a month apart in 1980. A Southern Rock band, their signature song is ” Can’t You See ” A song that I still get requests to play when I am doing music. Great band, fun to see in concert. Toy Caldwell was a Marine Vet who was wounded in Viet Nam in 1968.

        1. Not everyone does it, but I post a song just about every day.

          Tomorrow it will be Carly B…

          JK

          1. My guess is that the vinyl LP’s of this band would be quite valuable now. And I concur with Bear, that Will Smith looks bad at the dish right about now but it is still ST. However we might just see Barnes get more of the starting duties should Smith not make much improvement at the dish.

      1. Wouldnt you rather have on this team Yasiel Puig Production and Arm instead of Pollock’s ?? He wa syour favorite player for a time do not deny this Mark

        1. 1. I loved watching Puig-he was a freak;
          2. I suggested trading him after his rookie year to Mimi for Stanton
          3. I would never want him on any team because of his attitude (tearing up positioning cards in front of coaches).
          4. I don’t like Pollock but I would rather have him on the team than Puig.

          1. I never understood the love for Puig. Yes he made outrageous throws to home to get guys out. How many of those plays would be a routine catch if he was playing in position? I prefer players that don’t miss their cutoff man, don’t make base running errors, and doesn’t ignore their positioning card.

  5. Today’s Lineup:

    1. AJ Pollock CF
    2. Bellinger 1B
    3. Hernandez LF
    4. Seager SS
    5. Rios 3B
    6. Smith C
    7. Lux 2B
    8. Thomas RF
    9. McKinstry DH

    Urias P

    We get to see Willie “Tree Trunks” Calhoun today in LF and Tim “I can’t spell” Federowicz at C. Isn’t FedZ about 70?

    1. Mark, i will say this much, that McKinstry certainly should get the 26 spot on the roster over Gore the bore. But you probably can guess that they will start the season with Gore in that spot.

      1. Mark my words, Gore has no shot. Can’t hit my grandma and she is dead. Speed and nothing else, plus he is not on the 40 man roster and I can’t see them dumping anyone on that roster. He is a slug, period.

  6. I don’t have a feel for Ruiz but if what you say is true it is hard to see a star. Not there defensively, minimum power, slow. It seems his bat to ball skills are his best attribute, but ground balls could turn into double plays. He is young enough to improve so there’s that.

    David Price I feel is a great pickup and I said get him before the trade. He can start or bullpen and got over his playoff woes against us. If healthy, he could be the mvp for the Dodgers. He is a versatile pitcher with a competitive drive and a willingness to pitch wherever he is needed. He killed us in the World Series. I know he won’t be the league mvp and likely many Dodgers will have better years but in a short series he could be just what we need.

    Our bullpen has the personnel to be a great one, and if not great close to it. We don’t have that lefty unless it is Ferguson. Alexander has no command, Kolarek not versatile, but Baez handles lefties and Ferguson should get a shot. Come playoff time price is lurking and unlike maeda he won’t complain.

    Lux could start in the minors to gain a year of control. If possible get rid of pollock but only AF can deal the impossible. Taylor or kike would be better. No Russell Martin. With our offense we should be able to carry smith and Barnes. I think smith will stack up with most mlb catchers if not better. Except for pages I was excited about the Angels trade.

    1. https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/keibert-ruiz-660688?stats=career-r-hitting-milb

      He still grades out quite well. If we decide we can’t use him I sure there will be organizations willing to take him off our hands. I’m assuming he will be the starter at AAA and provided his hand is fully healed, will work on those issues the Dodgers tell him to work on. He’s only 21, doesn’t turn 22 until after the All Star break. He’s a “polished” defender (2080 Baseball’s assessment) and we all know his bat to ball skills. He’s 200 pounds now and could easily add 10 pounds of muscle to his 6’ frame and become Mike Scioscia-like behind the plate.

      I actually look for the Dodgers to start Lux in the minors for the reason you mentioned Therealten. Kinda sucks, but I guess I’m ok with it. Hope Gavin is.

      1. Badger, it is looking like an important year for Ruiz and we all hope for the best, if for no other reason that Will Smith right now at least looks disturbing at the plate. I already mentioned my choice for that 26 th man on the roster but I get the feeling that Gore, because of his speed will get that spot, although I don’t agree but they don’t ask me or anyone else here about it so there is that….

  7. That Puig does not yet have a job is a little puzzling. I know the guy has some issues, but you cannot deny that he is a very talented ballplayer, and to this point, the most exciting player the Dodgers have had in years. Yeah, some of his antics were tiring, but the guy busted his ass on the field and never took a play off. Best arm out there since Mondesi. As for Martin, I love the guy, but he is 37 now. Getting rid of Pollock would be very hard to do. Couple of reasons, counting this season, 3 more guaranteed years on his contract. Second, when healthy, he is a pretty good ballplayer. There was a stretch last year that he was their best hitter. He will get the opportunity to make his 15 million. And since AF took the reins, he has only released one player who had a lot of money due to him, Carl Crawford. He is not going to just shove AJ out the door. And I personally believe all the anti Pollock stuff is way to premature. I just want to see the guy get through spring training with no health issues. He is a pro, he will be ready when the season comes. Judging a vet on spring training stats is not really a good thing to do.

    1. I don’t take many exceptions to Friedman, but Pollock was a mistake. I believed it at the time and still believe it… and I would love to eat crow on that. I really hope I am wrong!

      1. Presently perusing Pollock projection at Prospectus …… see what I did there…… his Composite slash is .260/.320/.466 with 18 home runs, 57 ribbies and 59 runs scored. 384 ab’s. Cost/WAR for 2020 is $9.1m. Pollock makes $15 million. Hang on while I do the math in my head ….. ….91 goes into 150 … 1.. 9 from 14……6…. drop the zero……590….. ok….. 1.64835165. That’s what he needs to put up just to break even on his contract. I’m going out on a limb and say he does better than that. I say he puts up… 1.7 WAR and Friedman’s steely eyed precognitive prediction skills knew this when he constructed the contract. In tennis terms, which we use far too infrequently on baseball blogs….. Ad Andy.

  8. It’s interesting to see what some predict for certain players. I put ZERO stock in it, but it’s still fun.Baseball Prospectus predicts the following in 2020:

    Bellinger – .271/40 HR/105 RBI
    Beaty – .259/3 HR/10 RBI
    Betts – .285/27 HR/91 RBI
    Kike – .231/10 HR/31 RBI
    Lux – .267/14 HR/51 RBI
    Muncy – .245/34 HR/94 RBI
    Pederson – .244/30 HR/79 RBI
    Pollock – .258/19 HR/62 RBI
    Seager – .265/24 HR/80 RBI
    Smith – .240/29 HR/75 RBI
    Taylor – .238/9 HR/34 RBI
    Turner – .275/24 HR/75 RBI

      2. Yeah stupid… Seager is a career .294 hitter. I think he will be a lot closer to .300 than .265. He hit .272 last year after being out of the game for over a year. When healthy, he is one of the 10 best SS in the game. And he tied for the league lead in doubles last year. Cannot deny the guys talents.

    3. Not a single hitter with a batting average above .290? And, only one above .280 – not likely!!!

  9. I am still a defense/pitcher control first for the catcher. I still pine for the days when the strongest defense up the middle was paramount to winning. But now bats rule and if there is good defense, so much the better. As I said Friday, I still like Ruiz and think he is a future MLB catcher.

    He has come so far so fast. He has earned the right to take a little more time to percolate. I too wish that LAD would leave Keibert’s swing alone. Have him focus on his defense. I agree that this is an important year for him, but it is not make or break. Take a look at the prior year’s top catching prospects and see how long they struggle to make it to MLB. Sean Murphy is now 25 and has had a perennial presence on the top 10 catchers list for quite a while (at least 2017). He has spent the last two years in AAA and he has had only 7 PA in an A’s game this year. Daulton Varsho, Francisco Mejia, Carson Kelly, Jorge Alfaro… all perennial top catcher prospects. Wundercatcher Adley Rutschman is 1 for 9 with 1 walk and 5 K’s in his 10 ST PA. Joey Bart may be ready to take over for Buster Posey this year, but probably not before Farhan trades Belt so Posey can take over 1B. Catcher is the toughest position to crack into the lineup.

    Smith earned his shot because Austin Barnes could not handle being the regular catcher and forgot how to hit. Smith wasn’t ready, but had an unbelievable start to his career. It is bound to take a hit this year. How he handles the negative AB’s will dictate how his career moves forward. Will he lose confidence as did Austin? I remember all of the talk about Smith being the ultimate backup catcher because of his defense and arm and power potential. Defense first, hitting second.

    Cartaya may in fact be the long term LAD catcher of the future, but he has not even played full season ball yet. Does he get to start at Great Lakes in 2020?

    1. “I am still a defense/pitcher control first for the catcher. I still pine for the days when the strongest defense up the middle was paramount to winning.”

      Amen to that.

      I think it’s a good year to give Ruiz the OKC job and just leave him alone to do his work. A call up in September makes sense. And I don’t change a thing really. Just get better at what you already do well.

    2. You are a genius, almost always hit the spot, 100% agree with you, I also give a lot of importance to the defense, that wins games and championships, the Dodgers’ big offense can withstand the battles with Smith’s bat and in the end Smith will be much better than they think.
      Ruiz must be developed calmly and patiently, there is no hurry.

  10. With respect to Lux starting the season in AAA, I agree that it might happen and probably will. I may be naive, but I do not believe it has anything to do with gaining an extra year. Nobody knows what the rules will be with the next CBA. I think it has everything to do with having both Kike’ and CT3 still wearing Dodger Blue. They need AB’s and what better opportunity than having one of them at 2B most of the year. Of course that takes away from my strong D up the middle and having a consistent DP mate with Seager. It’s not that Kike’ or CT3 are not good defenders. They just are not a consistent presence that I would prefer.

    It will also allow the Dodgers to keep Rios as a LH bat on the bench and a reserve for the corner infield positions. Beaty is already settling in nicely in that role. AF and Doc love the flexibility.

      1. Somebody will need a 2B, SS, LF, CR or RF’er and cough up a couple of prospects for Kike.

        He will go on to the next team and become JD Martinez!

  11. Mark and a Badger D I S S I N G in a tree. First comes love, then comes Bear. Now we have two more guys with a lot to share. Is this as bad as when I reread it? Oh well, it’s was a late night last night!

  13. Excellent analysis on Ruiz. Catchers generally take longer to develop and have more defensive responsibilities than any other position. The dodgers will be patient with Keibert and give him plenty of playing time in AAA. He is still a very young for a catcher in AAA, and has shown great hitting skills in the minor leagues.
    While I love his contact rates, I have not been impressed with his ability to make hard contact, his power and his exit velocity this spring. I believe he is 0-9 in spring training games thus far in his limited appearances. And if low strikeout rates are combined with low walk rates and mostly soft ground balls, it translates into a less valuable hitter.
    But struggles at the plate are normal for a 21 year old facing MLB and AAA pitching.
    The prospect rankings for Keith Law left Ruiz off of his top 100 list this year, after ranking him highly in the past.
    In a “Locked on Dodgers” podcast with Jeff Snider last week, Keith Law was very negative about Ruiz and his defensive abilities, even questioning his ability to remain a catcher. While this is just one analyst’s opinion, it seems that Keibert has slipped in a few other prospect ranking lists as well. But it seems that Ruiz might need some work defensively as well as in the batters box. Here is link to the podcast. https://twitter.com/lockedondodgers/status/1233476858085281793?s=21

    Overall, I still think Ruiz could become a valuable MLB catcher, and a good left handed platoon with Will Smith in the future. It may take longer than anticipated, but hopefully he progresses in OKC this year. With a 21 year old catcher in AAA, patience is definitely needed.

  14. Fascinating, this Dodger catching situation. Ruiz, according to some of the pundits, is making backwards progress and Smith hasn’t hit much since the first little bit of time he arrived late last year. We’ve traded Wong.

    Now, some are pinning great hopes on Cartaya and some are wondering about Yeiner Fernandez.

    Any chance that Barnes and Russell Martin are the Dodger catchers by May?

  15. Comments from Roberts on the Dodgers upcoming season bullpen:

    “Our bullpen is a position of strength. If you look at the construction of our potential ‘pen and what these guys have done, it’s a safe bet Kenley [Jansen] and Joe [Kelly] will bounce back. Pedro [Baez] has solidified himself as a leverage guy. [Ross] Stripling and [Scott] Alexander, these are good names. Now you bring in [Brusdar] Graterol, [Dennis] Santana and [Adam] Kolarek.“

    Surprised about Kolarek. I’d rather see Ferguson, but I guess it’s a wait and see.

    1. It would be even more surprising if he said the same about Kolarek after today’s appearance.

  16. I am a big fan of Keibert Ruiz and of the opinion that he and Cartaya are the Dodgers future catching tandem for the next decade. Almost everyone seems to be on the Will Smith bandwagon as the catcher of the future but I see him as the ultimate tradebait after this season is completed. He could help the Dodgers fill a gap such as at third base, at shutdown LH reliever or even bringing back young prospects to continue the Dodgers excellence.

    I have consistently raved about Ruiz since I first watched him play in Fort Wayne with the Loons during a four game series. He was like a player coach because he took complete charge of the game by positioning the defense, making the proper play at the right time, and working with the pitchers to help them succeed especially when they were struggling. What I saw in Ruiz as a hitter was his ability to drive the ball into the holes in the OF down the lines and in the gaps from both sides of the plate and he seemed to thrive with runners on base. While he is not fast on the bases, he does appear to run with smarts and always gives maximum effort.

    The closest comparison from the catchers that I have watched from the Dodgers past is an oldie but a goody named John Roseboro and if Ruiz plays as well as I suspect he will then he will continue the team’s lineage of strong backstops with great leadership skill demonstrated by action and personal presence

    Welcome back to Badger and Bear and I look forward to your knowledge about the Dodgers and baseball.

    1. John Roseboro was one of my favorite Dodgers through the mid 1960’s and no body can take away those 3 WS rings he has with Dodgers, 1959, 1963 and 1965.

      1. Rosey was never a great hitter like Campy. But he was a very good defender. First time I saw him in 1958 he was wearing # 44. In 59 he switched to # 8. Dodgers went through a lot of catchers after he was traded to the Twins. Tom Haller, Dick Dietz, 2 former Giants, Duke Sims. Took a while before they had someone who was there longer than a couple of years and then Yeager arrived.

  17. Sometime this season, somebody will need a 2B, SS, LF, CR or RF’er and cough up a couple of prospects for Kike.

    He will go on to the next team and become JD Martinez!

    1. What? Mark, You’re still in a daze from your trip to Vegas! Better odds that Kike hits the Mendoza line before he approaches JD’s production!

  18. It is always interesting how MLB drafts the best kids they can find or make international signings, bring the kid along and than want to change everything. In KBear-s case, how he hits. I trust the Dodgers player development but there is always fear that instructors are turning these kids into robots. There are more ways than lift and separate to hit. I have seen kids ruined in attempts to change what they have been successful with. They really forget how to hit, lose confidence and don’t get it back. Chance can be risky and might not be the best thing for KBear. Maybe not trying to add to his power is the best thing for the 21 year old right now. Watching his stock drop so much is intriguing

  19. Will Smith evidently reads LADT. He was pissed off after what I wrote today.

    I’m going to really start talking bad about him if that is what it takes.

    😉

  21. I sure would never wish that on anyone… let alone Wille Calhoun. I think he has a broken jaw.

  22. To be clear, I really like Lux and want him to be the regular second baseman now without any platooning. But if the Yankees were willing to trade Torres for Lux and Gonsolin, I would do it in a heartbeat. Are there other players that would have to be involved? That’s Friedman’s challenge and above my head.

    Torres would join Turner, Smith, Betts as regular righty bats.

    Betts
    Muncy
    Turner
    Bellinger
    Torres
    Pederson
    Smith
    Seager

    Or just draw those names out of a hat to make out the lineup.

    1. Maybe you could get Brian Cashman really drunk and he would do that, but there’s no way he would do that sober. Torryes is one of the TOP 10m players in baseball.

      1. Cashman and Bums walk into a bar. Bums says he’s buying. Cashman says he really likes Lux. The rest is history.

  23. I’ve always favored Smith over Ruiz. I like his speed and defense and leadership. Ruiz is a base clogger.

    I was never able to get behind Verdugo. He was to me what Pederson is to Mark. I did like Verdugo more than IdahoAl liked Joc though.

    I was not aware that Price had more in him and now that he has shown that he has, I am excited to have him on the team.

    I don’t think the Dodgers need Pollock unless he did something over the winter that has improved his ability to play CF. Taylor and Hernandez and Betts can back up CF and so can Pederson. If McKinstry makes the 26, Taylor and Hernandez will get less time in the infield and more time in the outfield making Pollock unneeded. Trade him and subsidize his payroll.

    1. Bumsrap,

      So, Ruiz is a base clogger? OK, but you have to compare the rest to Smith… just like you did to Ruiz.

      Smith strikes out 2.5 times more than Ruiz.

      Smith has leadership, but not more than Ruiz!

      Ruiz has a dramatically higher batting average.

      I just like players who can play. Like I said… I am concerned about Ruiz and Smith as well.

      1. They are both good ball players and time will tell which if any will have a long MLB career. The more hits Ruiz gets the more times he clogs the bases. It would be better if Smith were the contact hitter and Ruiz were the power hitter. I’m just adding my 2 cents to the discussion.

    2. Bum, who does McKinstry bump from this list to be the 26th player? (barring injuries or a transaction)
      1. Pollock
      2. Pederson (if healthy)
      3. Belli
      4. Betts
      5. CT3
      6. Kike
      7. Beaty
      8. Turner
      9. Seager
      10. Lux
      11. Muncy
      12. Smith
      13. Barnes
      And while speed is a nice tool since when is it a prerequisite for an MLB catcher?

      1. Prefer decent speed to a lack of it but that only checks one box. Not all boxes have to be checked and therefore no prerequisites intended or stated.

      2. Totally agree with your list Phil. If there are no injuries or trades, there is no room for any of the young guys like McKinstry who are performing well this spring. The only possibility would be Beaty and he showed what he can do last year, no matter how bad a spring he might have. Very unlikely he doesn’t make the roster.
        If McKinstry starts well at OKC he may be the first one up when a trade or injury occurs. If not, he’ll probably be first in line to replace Kike when he leaves next year.

  24. Bum, I do not dislike Joc personally. I dislike the fact it takes two players to fill one position. He did hit left hand pitchers in the minors. Now he cannot hit left handlers. This is why I think they will have a hard time trading him. I like 8 position players that play every day. I know I am old and old fashion. I just do not like platooning. When Joc is in the line up, I root for Joc.

  25. Interesting trade idea. Doubt the Yankees would do it, but I’d give it some thought.

    What I hear from those who have seen him is that Ruiz, though clearly not fast, is a savvy base runner. I was in favor of a Smith/Ruiz platoon this year until Ruiz’ health became in doubt. I believe in Smith’s already posted no need to repost projections and am clearly on the fence with both of them at this point.

    Kolarek looks like a go cart wreck to me.

    1. The Yankees are righty bat dominant and the Dodgers are lefty bat dominant plus the Yankees could use another starter.

      I think the Dodgers are well set long term with Smith and Barnes. Both quick catchers who can play multiple positions. At some point the Dodgers could wind up with 3 catchers on the 26.

      1. I get that. I just don’t think they would do that deal for two unproven commodities.

    2. I have always wondered how stupid many writers are thinking that Kolerek could make the team.

    3. He has pitched himself off the roster. Looks like Ferguson and his new cutter is our best left handed option. And I like Alexander’s stuff if he would just throw it over the plate. But Kolarek is done. How did Urias look today?

  26. Way to early to say AJ Pollock was a mistake. His second half last year after the wrist surgery was very good. Had a lot of big hits. But I’m sure I will read that comment here many more times. Is that part of a pre-determined bias? Perhaps. Maybe everybody should take a step back and see how it plays out? Just a thought. Now Andruw Jones, that was a mistake which Ned Colletti often points out.

    1. Hey, I am with you. It’s too early to cut him and all we can hope is that he can be good.

    2. I’ve given my take on this a few times at other boards, but never here.

      I was in Arizona for all of Pollock’s career. I saw him a lot, even in person for several games. He had one great year and several incomplete years. He really was a fun player to watch a few years ago. He does a lot of things, including the little things, right. I wasn’t against the move to get him, I just didn’t understand it. We don’t need him. Never did really. I don’t buy the “right handed hitter” stuff. We lead the league in runs scored. You don’t do that if you are missing something.

      The bottom line was simply Friedman wanted him. So he’s here. If he was gone this afternoon this team wouldn’t miss him.

    3. He may have some good moments with the bat, but he can’t field and his arm is weak, in defense he is below Joc, Kiké and CT3 in LF.
      The last 4 years Pollock is basically CT3 with a worse defense, it should never have reached the Dodgers, the 2015 Pollock no longer exists, now it seems that it even has difficulties to run.

    4. It was ok. Not excellent. He hit lefties in meaningless games while holding a 10 game lead.

  27. I just read these stupid comments in MLB trade rumors…

    yankees5001 hour ago
    I’m sure this will get blown up by negative comments but I’m really starting to dislike Julio Urias. I’m not saying he intentionally threw at Calhoun but how the heck do you accidentally throw a fastball 3 feet away from the zone? If that was an accident then he seriously needs to work on his command. I’ve been playing baseball for 15 years and am currently playing in college and of the thousands of pitches I have thrown in my life, I’ve never missed that bad with a fastball. The kid is also incredibly cocky, had his little domestic violence incident last year, even though charges were “dropped” and now this that, from the video, he didn’t appear too upset about seriously injuring another young player.

    2
    REPLY
    Losbravos691 hour ago
    Didn’t urias beat his girlfriend or something if so he’s a POS

    1. None of that is rooted in fact.

      Those guys are D-Bags and Idiots!

      There’s nothing to add except they are losers and morons!

      Trolls are rampant! Forget about them.

      1. It was about a foot inside, so he’s a damn liar! Those guys are idiots who have never played anything but T-Ball.. and that was because their Moms made them.

        I hate guys like that!

    2. Urias was definitely bothered after he hit Calhoun. You could tell it on his face and he confirmed that in his interview with Alanna. Said he had a hard time concentrating in the 2nd inning and it was especially hard because he and Calhoun have history as teammates.
      Regarding that idiotic comment by Yankees5001. If the pitch was 3 feet inside, Calhoun would have hit the deck the minute it left the pitcher’s hand. He didn’t. It took him awhile to realize his head was in the line of fire.
      No way Urias did that on purpose.

    3. Every Dodgers starter will have a similar wild moment pitching this year. Fortunately, most of the time they’ll fly off harmlessly into the back stop. Sheesh, did this guy happen to watch Ubaldo Jimenez the other night? Still, Friedman needs to draft this guy. Sounds like the most accurate pitcher on the planet.

  28. Jorge your take on Urias is way off. He’s a very humble and respectful young man. Where do you get that he’s cocky? Pick on somebody else

    1. I don’t think that was Jorge’s take. He was just repeating comments that other guys made. He even said they were stupid comments.

    2. I didn’t say that, I just copied the comments of those assholes, I hate the stupidity of idiot people! I mean those guys on that page

  29. It’s best we learn to aikido ignorance and stupidity. There’s an abundance flying around these days.

  33. Despite blowing that lead and losing, I thought we looked pretty good. I’m encouraged with how Seager’s swinging the bat, seems a little more patient and less aggressive with the launch angle. I’d much rather he spray doubles in the gaps all day and hit .300, than jack 10 extra HRs and bat .270 – although I’m sure there are advanced stats that suggest it’s better he perform the latter. We got enough guys who hit HRs, would like to have some guys on base for those HRs to count for more and so they’ll get up more often.

    Despite the hit on Calhoun, thought Urias looked great. I imagine he’ll be up and down over the course of the season, but I suspect he’ll be more up than down to end the season. He screams like a guy who just needs innings to fine tune his arsenal. Hopefully, Roberts doesn’t jerk him around and patiently rides out the bumpy stretches. Kenley looked pretty good, but that served up tater looked awfully familiar. Still, just one run.

    Cody Thomas strikes again! Call me crazy, but I’d rather go into the season with the R/L platoon of Thomas and Joc than AJ and Joc. Maybe it’s recency bias, but it seems our call ups over the last few years excel in the opening two months of their stays, before adjustments set in. Maybe we could ride the Cody Thomas train for a hot April and May, before he cools.

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