Last August the Los Angeles Dodgers traded A.J. Ellis, the longest-tenured player in their organization, to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for fellow backup catcher Carlos Ruiz. He provided the Dodgers with a needed right-handed bat, but also was under team control beyond 2016.
However, that was rendered a moot point in some sense, as the Dodgers traded Ruiz to the Seattle Mariners in early November. That pointed to Austin Barnes serving as Yasmani Grandal’s backup moving forward.
Speaking at the Winter Meetings this week, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed as much. “Austin, you know, it’s his time,” Roberts said.