Los Angeles Dodgers Bring Speed to the Roster

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a knack for adding big-name players to their roster, and while an early-season trade with the Athletics may not have produced earth-shattering headlines, it still could prove to be a smaller move that pays big dividends for the Dodgers this season.

Back on April 2, Los Angeles traded minor-league right-hander Carlos Duran to the A's in exchange for outfielder Esteury Ruiz, who had been designated for assignment just days earlier. Ruiz was well-known among A's fans, after he was deemed the centerpiece of the Sean Murphy trade with the Atlanta Braves just a couple of years back, and was worth looping in the Milwaukee Brewers to make it happen.

Despite Ruiz swiping an AL rookie record 67 bases in 2023, the A's are still well underwater in that deal, and when Ruiz left the organization, they also had no more pieces of the trade left at any level of their system.

Yesterday, the Dodgers called up Ruiz, designating outfielder Steward Berroa for assignment in the process. While this is Ruiz's first time on the LA roster, this is not his first time with the club. He was up for a couple of days in early June when they were unsure of the status of Tommy Edman and Hyeseong Kim. He was up with the club in case they needed him, but it turned out that he'd have to wait another month to officially be added to the roster.

Thursday night, Ruiz made his Dodger debut as a defensive replacement for Teoscar Hernández in the top of the eighth inning of the team's 6-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. He did not record an at-bat in the game, though former Dodger Miguel Vargas flew out to right field where he was stationed to end the inning.

Ruiz, now 26, has hit .243 with a .297 OBP across 539 career at-bats in the big leagues, nearly all of which came in 2023 when he set the stolen base record with the Athletics. He began the 2024 season on the A's roster, but was sent down early on. The club said that they wanted to see him get on base more often to utilize his speed, and they also wanted him to tap into his power potential more often.

Ruiz spent most of the season dealing with a strained left wrist, and by the time 2025 rolled around, there were prospects nearing call-ups of their own and a crowded outfield to contend with, which led to his DFA.

In his time with Oklahoma City, Ruiz hit .292 with a .394 OBP in 66 games, along with notching eight home runs on his ledger. He'd also nabbed 38 stolen bases in 44 attempts, which is among the leaders in all of minor-league baseball. Coincidentally, Ruiz just played in Sacramento against the River Cats, going 9-for-25 with six RBI, four walks, and four stolen bases. He began this week by going 4-for-8 against the A's Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.

It will be interesting to see if Ruiz is left to pinch-running and late defensive substitution duties, or if the Dodgers will place a bat in his hands from time-to-time as well. Regardless of how he's ultimately used, he's still one of the more exciting players to watch on a baseball field when he's allowed to just glide in the field and on the bases.