Could Phillies trade productive Ruiz for a prospect?

MIAMI - Derek Dietrich lowered his shoulder into Carlos Ruiz, and the Phillies catcher's mask went flying as two bodies smashed Saturday night. Ruiz thudded to the ground with the ball secured in his mitt. The Phillies dugout erupted as a stoic Ruiz shuffled toward them.

He could still take a hit.

"They were excited about Chooch," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's a tough guy."

Ruiz has provided the Phillies so much in 18 years, ever since he signed in Panama for $8,000 and earned $31 million in the majors. He could have one more gift for the Phillies: a prospect.

It is early, and Ruiz's body has endured more than a decade of big-league deterioration. But the veteran catcher has played so well in a diminished role that he could intrigue a contending team in need of a catching upgrade.

If righthander Charlie Morton was the team's best potential trade chip before his season-ending hamstring tear, Ruiz may have inherited that status. He will not fetch a top prospect. But the goal of a rebuilding plan is to maximize the roster in every possible way.

And, for Ruiz, two more months of solid production could be his ticket to another postseason shot.

"You never know, man," Ruiz said. "It could be here. It could be somewhere else."

Ruiz is hitting .286 with an .882 OPS; his improved power stroke is the most noticeable difference from a season ago. The other difference is the playing-time split with Cameron Rupp, who has received the majority of action behind the plate. Ruiz started just 13 of the team's first 32 games.

As he searches for offense, Mackanin has considered more time for Ruiz. He tends to believe Ruiz's success is a product of less strain on his 37-year-old body, and the manager keeps returning to that principle.

Rupp, the starting catcher, has hit the ball hard but with little production to show for it. He is batting .250 with a .659 OPS.

"He still gives you a pretty good at-bat most of the time, and I don't want to jump on Chooch's bandwagon right now and say he'll provide more offense because if you catch him three or four days in a row, it wears and tears on your body," Mackanin said. "At some point I'll probably have to make that decision if Rupp isn't hitting and Chooch is, I'll lean that way. But I'm not a fortune teller."

The way the Phillies see it, there is no reason to overwork Ruiz. The catcher understands. When he does not play, he catches a pitcher's bullpen session. He pays more attention to the little things from the dugout.

"Sometimes, when you're on the bench, you can see a lot of stuff," Ruiz said. "That kind of stuff will help to get myself ready when they give me a chance to play. I feel good. I feel strong. I definitely feel better than last year."

There is a dearth of good-hitting catchers in baseball. Entering play Monday, catchers across the majors were hitting .236 with a .676 OPS, both the lowest marks for any position. The numbers are even more stark in the American League, where catchers are hitting .215 with a .629 OPS.

The best catcher on the market will be Milwaukee's Jonathan Lucroy, who turns 30 in June and has a favorable team option for 2017. The Brewers, in a similar rebuilding mode as the Phillies, will seek a strong return for Lucroy.

Ruiz, seven years older but with significant postseason experience, would be a less-expensive option for interested teams. Both Texas teams, the Rangers and Astros, are among those that could use a catcher.

Ruiz has a partial no-trade clause. He will achieve full no-trade protection on July 14 when his five-and-10 rights activate. A trade to a contender could be appealing.

"I don't know," Ruiz said. "I'm real happy here. I want to do my best to help the team win. Anything can happen. . . . I don't know what will happen at the deadline."

For now, Ruiz will savor his waning time in a Phillies uniform.

"I'm just trying to enjoy every game I play here," he said. "I have to keep working."

mgelb@philly.com

@MattGelb www.philly.com/

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