The Padres announced today that right-hander Jose Ruiz has been claimed off waivers by the White Sox. San Diego had designated the hard-throwing Ruiz for assignment last week to clear a roster spot for trade acquisition Freddy Galvis.
Ruiz, 23, made the jump from Class-A Advanced to the Majors this season, though he only threw a single inning at the big league level. Ruiz worked as a catcher for the bulk of his pro career with the Padres but began transitioning to the mound in 2016 after batting just .203/.239/.249 in his career as a hitter. He tossed a career-high 49 2/3 innings in 2017 with the Padres’ Class-A Advanced affiliate, struggling to a 5.98 ERA in that time.
Ruiz, however, sat at 95.3 mph with his heater in his lone MLB appearance this past season and averaged 8.2 K/9 in his first full season as a pitcher in the minors. He also averaged 4.5 BB/9, though, and posted a low 32.5 percent ground-ball rate, which contributed to some trouble in keeping the ball in the park (1.27 HR/9). He’s tossed 16 innings in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason, posting a 3.94 ERA with a 12-to-6 K/BB ratio, a hit batter and a wild pitch.
See ya. No big loss.
Add a strong, low mileage arm, young, cheap…don’t stop now, boys.
He’ll slot into the 7th inning quite nicely TYVM.
Good luck
Lol
He was pitching in single a after being converted from a catcher
And had like a 6 ERA
Don and his assistants will have a busy year 2018
Coop can do it. Bullpen slots wide open. Good luck
Can’t imagine it will be long before he’s back on the waiver wire.
Please ban this user, MLBTR.
5 BB per nine and a fly ball pitcher.? What could go wrong?
Especially at Comiskey.
Still, I think maybe they’re looking at him as a 1 batter type guy.
Comiskey? What is this 2007?
If you’re going to make a futile attempt at a snide comment, at least get your ‘facts’ straight. Most southsiders will always call it Comiskey, but if you want to get nit-picky, the name was changed to US Cellular Field in 2013, and then changed again in November 2016.
R.H.f.P…
2003; not 2013…
Ruiz is a stash claim (Palka, Randy Rosario etc). He’s not ready for the bigs but theyre unlikely to cut him immediately. I’d imagine at least Kevan Smith his below him
Below him for what? Smith doesn’t pitch
Im saying in terms of DFA
Like x/40