On Saturday, Ruiz signed an eight-year, $50 million contract extension with two membership choices. The switch-hitting Venezuelan, who nonetheless had two extra years till he was once arbitration-eligible, might be with the Nationals via his first 3 years of unfastened company till 2030. The crew controls Ruiz, 24, during the 2032 season. In quick, the Nationals have their backstop for doubtlessly the following decade.
“I’m really excited to stay here for a long time,” Ruiz mentioned. “I feel like we got a good group. All these young guys — MacKenzie Gore, Josiah Gray, all the guys coming up from the minor leagues. So I feel like I’ve got to take responsibility now. I’ve got to do my job to help this team win.”
Ruiz were given a style of a championship in 2020 as a tender catcher at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ taxi squad. But in 2021, he moved to the Nationals within the deal that despatched Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers.
The industry, together with others that summer season, signaled the Nationals’ transition from a perennial contender to a rebuilding franchise. That trail was once expedited in August when Washington traded Juan Soto and Josh Bell for 6 gamers on the time limit.
Last season, Ruiz hit .251 with seven house runs, 36 RBI and an OPS-plus of 95. (The MLB reasonable is 100.) Behind the plate, he threw out 20 runners — the second one maximum within the majors — regardless of lacking the overall 24 video games with a testicular contusion.
Ruiz entered spring coaching no longer considering an extension would occur. (He switched businesses from Scott Boras to Octagon closing month.) Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo mentioned he was once inspired by means of Ruiz’s demeanor closing season and his leadership this spring coaching, which ended in the speculation of locking the catcher long run.
Upon receiving the contract be offering he sought after, Ruiz joked that he right away mentioned sure however waited a couple of days prior to if truth be told agreeing. He referred to as his folks and cried. By signing, Ruiz become the primary National to signal a contract extension prior to he was once eligible for arbitration.
“You look at a lot of championship-caliber clubs, the catcher is the core piece,” Rizzo mentioned. “He’s kind of the captain or the general on the field. It’s a different task, not only the rigors of catching and taking foul tips off the mask and getting little nicks and that. … When you’re trying to build this thing from the ground up, I think that’s an important aspect to it.”
Ruiz mentioned he appears to be like ahead to the duty of dealing with the pitching workforce — if he handles his pitchers, he says, his hitting manufacturing will deal with itself . He’s had no hassle with touch in earlier seasons, however is anticipating to hit for extra energy this yr by means of being extra selective on the plate.
“I’m planning on throwing to him for a long time,” pitcher Cade Cavalli mentioned. “So I’m really excited about it. He’s a great leader, great teammate. It’s going to be fun.”
In the previous, the Nationals have struggled to fasten down gamers for the longer term. Washington has signed most effective two gamers to vital pre-free company extensions. Ryan Zimmerman agreed to 2 offers, one in 2009 and any other prior to the 2012 season. Stephen Strasburg signed a seven-year, $175 million extension in the midst of the 2016 season, after which he was once scheduled to be a unfastened agent.
Players akin to Turner, Juan Soto, Ian Desmond, Jordan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper didn’t succeed in extensions and later left Washington. After Ruiz’s touch, Rizzo can center of attention on doubtlessly signing extra offers to stay the remainder of the Nationals’ younger core — Gore, García, Gray, Cade Cavalli and CJ Abrams — intact.
Rizzo mentioned Saturday that there’s no prohibit on what number of equivalent offers the crew can pursue. He mentioned he has a tendency to take a look at the caliber of no longer most effective the participant however the individual. He believes there’s a handful of applicants at the crew who are compatible that billing. So much may nonetheless alternate. The Nationals’ possession state of affairs is in flux. Rizzo and Manager Dave Martinez are within the ultimate yr in their contracts.
For now, Washington has locked up certainly one of its younger gamers at some of the sport’s maximum necessary positions. Ruiz joined the Nationals in 2021 after the industry time limit for 23 video games. He performed in 112 video games in the back of the plate closing season and most probably will play extra this yr as he gels with the younger pitching workforce.
“I’ve always said this about him: I think eventually he will be one of our leaders in that clubhouse,” Martinez mentioned. “I’m really happy for him. I’m really happy for his family. But we often talk about how we invest in players. I think it’s kind of the other way. He’s investing in us for the long term, and that means a lot. It really does.”