The Rangers have added a pair of players on minor league deals, inviting one of the two, Jose Julio Ruiz, to Spring Training. MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan tweets news of the Ruiz signing, while Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas writes that right-hander Ty Taubenheim also inked a minor league contract with the club.
Ruiz, 25, signed with the Rays last summer, spending the remainder of the season in the minors. Tampa Bay released the Cuban first baseman in November rather than committing to a four-year, $4MM deal by a November 15th deadline. While Ruiz didn't display much power during his time in the Rays' system, he did hit .331/.416/.468 across two minor league levels.
Taubenheim, 28, has seen major league playing time for the Blue Jays and Pirates. The righty, who spent 2010 in the Phillies' system, has posted a 5.09 ERA in 46 career innings, pitching in the bigs most recently for Pittsburgh in 2008.
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How so?
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O’Doyle rules
As far as I can tell, Ruiz isn’t a catcher, he’s a first baseman.
Ruiz isn’t a catcher. He’s a first baseman compared to David Ortiz.