Ruiz, Relievers, And Other Things That Begin With R...

Like ratatouille, one of Cindi’s culinary specialties featuring fresh grated rat. Or riddance, as in a good one, Kaval. “R” sure is a fun letter with which to ring in 2025, so let’s explore a little R & R on this lazy New Year’s day...

Esteury Ruiz

Ruiz made my projected 26 man roster for Opening Day, largely on the strength of being on the 40-man roster with no further outfield transactions currently in sight. But there are multiple reasons why it’s not ideal for the A’s — why they might still want to look for an outfielder even if it’s a “5th outfielder”.

One reason is that Ruiz’ development arc in 2024 was stunted when he lost almost the entire season to injury. Remember that though he made…