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Phillies Veterans Ryan Howard & Carlos Ruiz Clear Trade Waivers

By George Stockburger

Jul 11, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz (51) greets first baseman Ryan Howard (6) after his solo home run in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 11, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz (51) greets first baseman Ryan Howard (6) after his solo home run in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports /
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The two longest-tenured Phillies went unclaimed on waivers

While the non-waiver trade deadline is long-gone, the Phillies still have an opportunity to trade veterans for young talent. The team can place players on waivers, and should they be claimed, the club has the option to trade them to the team that earned the claim.

According to reports, both Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz cleared waivers. This means both veterans are available for any team to swing a trade for through the remainder of the season. If a team is in the playoff hunt, the two must be acquired before the end of the month to be on the post-season roster.

Carlos Ruiz would certainly be a nice piece for a playoff team to add down the stretch. While he won’t play everyday, he can call a game better than anyone in baseball. He is also known to be a leader, and help young pitchers.

Off the bat, a couple of teams come to mind when it comes to Chooch. Teams in the playoff hunt with depth questions behind the plate include Houston, Boston, and Cleveland. The Indians lost out on Jonathan Lucroy at the trade deadline after he vetoed a trade at the deadline.

As for Ryan Howard, he was never expected to be moved this season, despite his recent success coming off the bench. He’s hitting .348 with five home runs over his last 15 games.

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American League teams in the Wild Card race (Boston, Toronto, Texas) are not looking for a designated hitter at the moment. They each have their own aging power-hitters to pencil in every night.

Both Howard and Ruiz can veto trades due to their 10-5 (10 MLB seasons, 5 with the same team) status. Howard also has a limited no-trade clause in his contract, as well as a $10 million buyout for the final year of his deal, which the Phillies would have to send in a trade.

There is no word on whether Jeremy Hellickson or any other player has gone through the waiver process as of yet. It’s highly likely a majority of the players on the 25-man roster are placed on waivers so the Phillies can get a feel what their value is heading into the offseason.

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