Free-agent catcher Carlos Ruiz has a standing two-year, $20 million offer from a mystery team, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Carlos Ruiz rumors: Catcher has 2-year, $20 million offer from mystery team
The veteran backstop could use the standing offer as leverage to get a bigger deal from someone else.
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The speculation last week was that the Rockies planned on offering a multi-year contract to the veteran backstop, but they are not the team who made this offer, per Joel Sherman of the NY Post. Sherman adds that Colorado is willing to go two years plus an option with Ruiz, but that the standing $20 million price tag is too high.
The Blue Jays and Red Sox are also believed to be vying for the veteran’s services, per Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald, so the offer could be from one of them.
A dark horse in the "who-made-the mystery-offer" running is the Phillies. Philadelphia has expressed interest in retaining Ruiz for a ninth season, but GM Ruben Amaro indicated last week that the club may not wait around for him if something else emerges. He said there are "several candidates" in the running for the catcher spot next year, adding that it's "open season."
Ruiz, 34, missed the first 50 games of this past season after testing positive for Adderall over the winter. The 2012 all-star couldn’t quite live up to his gaudy numbers from the previous season when he eventually returned, batting .268/.320/.368 with five home runs in 92 games for the Phillies.
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