The Nationals made their first big roster move of the offseason on Saturday when they acquired catcher Harry Ford, a consensus top 100 prospect in baseball and one of the best catching prospects in the sport,
in exchange for left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer. The move signaled a multitude of things, including a possible signal of a retooling of the current rebuild, as relievers are the least important asset on a ballclub not looking to be very competitive. The other major thing this move signaled was a changing of the guard at the catching position for the Nationals, who had relied on Keibert Ruiz for the majority of the past 4.5 seasons.
With Ford now in the Nats organization and having a taste of big league experience already, Keibert Ruiz has seemingly already lost his starting catcher position on the roster. That leaves him competing with Riley Adams and Drew Millas for the backup catching spot on the big league roster.
Millas still has minor league options, making sending him down easier as they don’t have to test waivers with him, while Adams and Ruiz do not. However, neither seems very likely to be claimed if placed on waivers, especially Ruiz and his contract, which would tie him to any club that claims him until 2030.
So, with the option of another club taking him either via trade or waiver claim being practically nonexistent, what do the Nationals do with the switch-hitting catcher? If the decision were mine, I would designate him for assignment, allowing every other club to claim him and take that contract away from the Nats. When he ultimately is not claimed by anyone else, you can then send him to Rochester, where he will get the consistent reps he needs, but can’t slow down the big league club with his struggles. I’d then let Riley Adams and Drew Millas compete for the backup catcher position, with my preference as of now being Millas due to his high-quality defense.
One possible benefit of keeping Ruiz on the big league club is to see the improvements he could make with the new coaching staff, specifically the new hitting coaches and new catching coach Bobby Wilson. Ruiz has progressively declined the past few seasons, and while a large part of that blame falls on Ruiz himself, it certainly doesn’t help that he’s been working under a coaching staff that failed to unlock a sizable portion of the club’s young hitters.
Keeping Ruiz around as the backup catcher to Harry Ford gives him the opportunity to learn and grow in ways he hasn’t had the chance to in his career, and perhaps even revitalize his game. If he is able to do so, perhaps there is a future for him on the roster at first base, designated hitter, or even with another ballclub.
While Keibert Ruiz is the big loser of the Jose A. Ferrer, Harry Ford swap, it could be an opportunity for him to improve his game in the lower-stress setting of Triple-A Rochester, splitting reps with one of Riley Adams and Drew Millas. If he proves enough in his time in the minors or as a backup to Ford, he could earn himself another shot at a big league starting role, either at a new position or with a new team.
