The Nationals have given Keibert Ruiz every opportunity to make the catchers position his own. Ruiz and Josiah Gray were the headliners in a trade that sent Trea Turner and Max Scherzer to the Dodgers. So far, neither has given the Nats what was expected at the time. Gray has been up and down, and is now dealing with injuries, but today we will focus on Ruiz.
After a solid first season in DC, where he posted 1.5 fWAR, the Nationals decided to give him an eight-year extension worth $50 million. It was a bold move for a franchise with a history of not retaining star position players.