Though many believe that Philadelphia Phillies' wall of famer Mike Lieberthal is the best catcher in team history, Carlos Ruiz certainly is in the discussion. In parts of 10 seasons with the team, Ruiz has established himself as the greatest fielding catcher in franchise history, has caught four no-hitters, was an All-Star in 2012 and caught the last pitch of the team's 2008 World Series win.
Though he has a $4.5 million option for 2016 and seems to have embraced teaching the game to some of the team's younger talents, 2016 will almost certainly be Ruiz's final season with the Phillies. The 36-year-old has a $500,000 buy-out for 2017, and given that the organization has two talented catching prospects — Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp — mixed with serviceable production from Cameron Rupp, the Phillies probably will turn the page at catcher after 2016.
Ruiz, rather than trying to avoid that reality, seems to have embraced it. He spoke to a group of reporters Thursday,which included CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury, and was very complimentary of Alfaro.
“He’s a strong kid, good hands and he can swing the bat,” Ruiz said. “He's a guy to keep an eye on.”
Alfaro, acquired in the Cole Hamels trade last summer, is probably the biggest wild-card in the Phillies' system currently. As Ruiz noted, he can really hit, and seems to have the potential to be one of the league's better power-hitting catchers. Most scouting reports also praise how strong his arm is, but are quick to point out that his strong arm hasn't translated to him being a particularly good catcher.
As Ruiz says, he's worth "keeping an eye on". He has a big-league bat, but what position he will end up playing for the Phillies is far from certain. Presumably, the 22-year-old will get a chance to catch initially at the big-league level, but with Knapp in the system and questions about his fielding, it's fair to wonder if his strong arm couldn't be better utilized in the outfield. Some have also suggested that he could play first-base at the big-league level, though that would seem to neutralize his strong arm, which is one of his biggest strengths.
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features.
