The Phillies announced this morning that they’ve designated right-hander Jose Ruiz for assignment. The move makes room for right-hander Seth Johnson to be recalled to the big league roster.
Ruiz, 30, was a valuable piece of the Philadelphia bullpen as recently as last year but has struggled badly so far in the 2025 campaign. In 14 1/3 innings of work across 16 appearances, the right-hander has pitched to an ugly 8.16 ERA with a 5.39 FIP to this point in the season. Some of that can be chalked up to a low strand rate and high BABIP that indicate poor luck with batted balls and sequencing, but Ruiz’s career-worst 17.6% strikeout rate and elevated 8.8% walk rate have served to exacerbate an overall profile that already lent itself to elevated home run rates.
The Phillies will have one week to either trade Ruiz or place him on outright waivers. If the righty goes unclaimed, he has the necessary service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. A veteran of parts of nine big league seasons, Ruiz has enough past success on his resume that it’s not hard to imagine him attracting interest either on the waiver wire or in free agency. In addition to last year’s 3.71 ERA in 51 innings with the Phillies, he also pitched to a 3.00 ERA in 69 innings for the White Sox from 2020-21, with a 3.98 FIP and a 23.9% strikeout rate. If one of the league’s other clubs can help Ruiz get back into something approaching that form, it would be a major boost to virtually any relief corps around the league.
Replacing Ruiz on the roster is Johnson, who the Phillies acquired in the Gregory Soto trade last summer. The 26-year-old made his big league debut with the Phillies last year in a spot start that went quite poorly, as he surrendered nine runs in 2 1/3 frames. The righty has a 4.02 ERA in 56 innings of work for the Phillies at the Triple-A level over the past two years, although he’s primarily been used out of the bullpen this season to lackluster results (4.91 ERA). That’s the role Johnson figures to fill with the big league club this time around, providing multi-inning relief as necessary for the club while he’s on the roster.
It was time for a move, and Seth is the only real prospect at LHV for the bullpen that might be able to have some upside as a potential pen stalwart.
Glad to see them do this – hoping that Ruiz is not claimed however as he still has a good arm.
Quick! Fix the player page link to the right guy before anybody notices!
You mean GUYS. The link for both Ruiz AND Johnson are wrong, or where a little while ago.
both links are wrong
Do we get Juan Soto for Greg Soto?
Mario Soto…could help the pen
Bad choice. Johnson has a good arm but no idea where pitches are going. Dombrowski and his staff did another poor job in building a bullpen and developing prospects to call up. Time for Dave to move on along with Mattingly.
Not a Preston Mattingly fan? Serious question.
you are crrazy DD saved the philliies franchise
No one understands how good we have it with DD here. Yes, he’s not perfect. That said, I doubt there are 10 better FOs out there.
You are crazy. Just because he did ok, he has consistently made serious errors regarding the bullpen.
No one understands that the only real great moves he has made involve spending more money, other than the Luzardo trade which was great.
Luzardo trade is going well now. Let’s check back on that some day.
The bullpen was fantastic last year. Yes, this year has been less than stellar – I think that’s more of a budget issue.
Says almost every fan about every GM in MLB, what makes DD worse?
These are cute whines of an entitled fan.
I think he is ok for minor league leadership but has no real experience that would make him good at evaluating things at major league level.
Yeah, Johnson is hardly an upgrade over Ruiz. He’ll most likely not pitch an inning and be optioned back when Abel is recalled.
@neverknew – I always get a kick out of the armchair gm types that always know better than the HoF professionals. When was the last time that you constructed a bullpen?
Johnson is a risk, just like almost every pen arm. I would love to see him get another month or so down there but they are bringing him to Philly and he will also get to work with a terrific staff that has worked wonders with command issues. Relax, genius.
Oh boy, so you think anyone with experience is automatically right? You must be a real thrill to be around
The Phillies have had deep bullpens for the last few years. This year has been a challenge with the loss of Hoffman and now Alvarado. But they still have a pretty good threesome in Kerkering, Strahm, and Romano.
0-3
The Link is wrong and the Story is wrong …the Phillies have disbanded
“I always get a kick..armchair GMs”…Exactly. There’s a reason that the “Dom” is building winning teams and @never remember is dwelling in the MLBTRADERUMORS comments section making baseball “commentary.”
Dave Dombrowski was building baseball teams when @never remember was still dating cheerleaders. How many different teams has Dom taken to the World Series? I always forget, is it three or is it four?
welll said
Dombrowski has taken the Phillies, the Red Sox, the Tigers and was he behind the Marlins championship? Yeah, I think I’ll take him over many of the POBOs in baseball right now.
Tome to reach down and bring up Mitch Neunborn from Reading. The Phils love to convert starters into relievers ( like Seth Johnson ) and it takes some time to adjust your mind and your body to pitch that way.
But this kid misses bats and has harnessed his control.
Neumborn is a guy I’ve been tracking some since he was signed. Interesting story. Is his stuff actually playing up now in the BP?
@Joebuzas – Thanks for the insight. I only knew him as that S. African guy that played in Australia – never got the chance to see his work. I love that changeup; it is nasty.
Not a big stuff guy but the command has been really solid. As a late bloomer but with not a ton of experience over here, it just depends upon when they think he is ready for the next level. Perhaps they move him up to LHV now that a spot has been cleared, or will be shortly with Ruiz heading to a waiver trade or FA. and Abel in the show.
Someone needed to go. Ruiz and Hernandez have both stunk, but Hernandez has at least shown some signs of life.
Think this was the right move. We know Ruiz has limited upside, but we’re yet to see what the 25 year old top 10 prospect can do in an extended bullpen role. The Phillies will use Walker exclusively out of the pen, as a 1 inning RP. Johnson will also focus primarily on 1 innings stints, but is stretched enough to go 2 if needed. This was Seth’s only viable path to the big league club, let’s hope he excels and develops into a high leverage guy.
With that being said, the Phillies really need to get on the phone and find themselves a dominant lefty reliever that won’t break the bank as far as prospects. Aroldis Chapman & Justin Wilson of the Red Sox make a ton of sense – Chapman profiles almost identically to Jose Alavardo – and the Red Sox have a big hole in their rotation and a switch hitting 1B (A. Toro) that is currently batting .143 with ZERO extra base hits vs. LHP. Iron Pigs 1B/2B Otto Kemp is leading the international league (or is tied) in HR’s RBI’s & OPS+. I mean, the kid deserves a shot and would make a logical platoon partner with Toro.
Phillies acquire:
Aroldis Chapman LHP (1/$10M)
Liam Hendricks RHP (1/$6M)
Rob Refsnyder LF (1/$2M)
(3 players at $18mil total)
Red Sox acquire:
Taijuan Walker RHP (2/$36)
Mick Abel RHP (#7)
Otto Kemp 1B (#18)
(3 players at $18mil)
Neither team has to worry about this year’s budget with the salaries equalling out. Chapman is the perfect Alavardo replacement, Hendricks has fallen out of favor in Boston and absolutely needs a change of scenery. As for Refsnyder, lefty masher in the midst of a career year. Steve Pearce anyone?
Way too high a price for that package. Walker is doing well enough in the bullpen to dump his salary. Abel and Kemp in the same deal should get far more value.
Yeah, the Red Sox would love that.
Lol. Trade Abel and others for 400 year old declining rentals. Funny.
The idea for making trades is improving a team, not make them the laughing stock of baseball. Abel and others for 2 ancient retread rentals and a sub par outfielder? The Red Sox would fall all over themselves jumping at that trade, and would be laughing at the Phillies for years along with the rest of MLB
Hey Nick how about posting the correct players and their stats just for laughs and giggles ?
And they announce the next move – Taj back to the pen, and Abel coming up for the Nola slot in the interim. I like this as well. I am sure that the mom’s basement armchair GM’s will take issue however.
Abel needs to be called up for good.
Why can’t the Phillies make Weston Wilson an official two-way player?
Currently tied for the 5th best record in all of major league baseball with a.610 winning percentage, and your GM is Dumb? Stay away from mirrors, today, johnny d., or dumb would be looking back at you.
A little tinkering to the bullpen yes is needed. The rest of your comment misses the mark by a mile.