Right-hander José Ruiz bounced around the majors before finding a home with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, performing yeoman’s work out of the bullpen. Unfortunately, he followed that up with a tough season in 2025, and was cut loose in June.
Instead of embarking on an uphill climb to make a big league roster in 2026, Ruiz opted this week to ply his trade overseas, signing on with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball for a fresh start.
Ruiz began his professional career back in 2011 as an international free agent signing of the San Diego Padres, and eventually ascended to the big leagues in 2017, appearing in one game for the club.