Phillies re-sign Carlos Ruiz to three-year contract - MLB

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. made it clear that the Phillies were prepared to move on to other catching options if Carlos Ruiz wanted to take his time making a decision, but that won’t be necessary as Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that Ruiz is re-signing with Philadelphia.

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that it’s a three-year, $26 million contract, which is the type of commitment not often made to soon-to-be 35-year-old catchers coming off down seasons.

Ruiz was heavily linked to the Rockies right away this offseason and reports last week had him being offered at least $20 million over two years by some team. Troy Renck of the Denver Post says that team wasn’t the Rockies, who apparently offered Ruiz a two-year, $15 million deal with a 2016 option.

Ruiz, who’s spent his entire eight-season career with the Phillies, sat out the first 25 games on suspension this year and then hit .268 with five homers and a .688 OPS for his worst production since 2008. He did, however, hit well during the final two months.

UPDATE: Gelb says the three-year deal also includes a fourth-year team option for 2017, when Ruiz will be 38 years old.

UPDATE #2: Ruiz’s contract includes $500,000 bonuses for each season if he starts 125 or more games at catcher. His career-high? 113.

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MIAMI – Luis Arraez had three hits to raise his major league-leading batting average to .399, and the Miami Marlins beat the Kansas City Royals 9-6 on Monday night.

Arraez drove in two runs for the Marlins, who erased an early four-run deficit and won their fourth straight game. Bryan De La Cruz hit his eighth homer, while Jon Berti, Nick Fortes and Joey Wendle had two hits apiece.

Braxton Garrett (2-2) overcame a difficult start and completed five innings of four-run ball. The left-hander gave up six hits and struck out six.

Arraez’s RBI single capped a four-run fourth and put Miami ahead 6-4. Berti hit a two-run triple and Jonathan Davis followed with an RBI double as the Marlins got five consecutive hits against reliever Mike Mayers with two outs.

Miami increased its lead to 9-4 on De La Cruz’s two-run drive against Josh Staumont in the sixth.

The Royals narrowed the gap to 9-6 on Drew Waters’ run-scoring single off Steven Okert in the ninth. Dylan Floro relieved Okert with one out and retired Bobby Witt Jr. on a double-play grounder for his seventh save.

Carlos Hernández opened for the Royals and retired six straight. Mayers (1-1) took over in the third and allowed Davis’ RBI grounder and Arraez’s run-scoring double.

Mayers, who pitched six scoreless innings of relief and carried a combined perfect game into the seventh against St. Louis in his previous appearance May 29, gave up seven runs and nine hits over three innings.

Kansas City struck quickly on MJ Melendez’s RBI single and Salvador Pérez’s run-scoring single in the first.

Nick Pratto’s solo shot and Melendez’s second run-scoring single in the third made it 4-0.

TIME CHANGE

The start time of the series finale Wednesday night has been moved up 30 minutes to 6:10 p.m. With the Miami Heat playing their first home game of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets later that night, Marlins management sought to reduce the window of both events coinciding.

BONDING EXPERIENCE

The Royals renewed their annual “Fathers Trip” during series stops in Miami and Baltimore. Fathers, fathers-in-law, and brothers of current Royals players and staff travel with the group. They stay in the team hotel and have the option of riding on chartered buses. The trip became a Royals tradition until it was interrupted in 2020 because of the pandemic.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino was rested but was available to pinch-hit.

Marlins: OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. (turf toe) is scheduled to visit a foot specialist on Wednesday to determine his progression. … LHP A.J. Puk (elbow nerve irritation) was in the clubhouse before the game but has not been activated after one-inning rehab appearances with Double-A Pensacola on Friday and Saturday.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Zack Greinke (1-5, 4.19 ERA) starts the middle game of the series Tuesday. Greinke is 7-0 against the Marlins. LHP Jesús Luzardo (4-4, 4.05) pitches for Miami.