Written by Chris Cwik at YahooSports.com
When Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is able to return from the disabled list, he might find an unfamiliar face behind the plate. The Dodgers decided to swap backup catchers with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, acquiring Carlos Ruiz in exchange for A.J. Ellis.
From an on-field standpoint, the deal isn’t all that interesting. Ruiz should be an upgrade over Ellis at the plate. The 37-year-old Ruiz has hit .261/.368/.352 over 193 plate appearances this season. That’s a significant upgrade over Ellis’ .194/.285/.161 slash line. It’s assumed Ruiz will slot in behind Yasmani Grandal on the depth chart in L.A. Ellis will likely assume a backup role behind Cameron Rupp.
In this case, the off-the-field ramifications of the deal are far more intriguing. While Ellis wasn’t a strong contributor over the past few seasons, he was viewed as a clubhouse leader in Los Angeles.
Considering the personalities and stories of unrest that have emerged from the team over the past few years, losing Ellis could prove to be tough internally.
On top of that, Ellis was viewed as one of Kershaw’s best friends on the team. He had been considered Kershaw’s personal catcher when Don Mattingly was in town, but things changed after the team acquired Grandal. Ellis still started a fair amount of games Kershaw pitched, but Grandal started seeing more time with the lefty.
Again, on the field, this shouldn’t play a huge role. Kershaw will likely continue to be the best pitcher on the planet even though he’s not throwing to Ellis anymore. His reaction to the deal, however, could prove to be interesting. Baseball is a business, and the Dodgers don’t have to cater to Kershaw’s needs, but it’s clear the two were exceptionally close.
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