Ruiz, Nationals agree to eight-year contract

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- When the Nationals acquired Keibert Ruiz from the Dodgers in a 2021 blockbuster trade, the goal was for the catcher to be part of their long-term future. Now, that vision is unfolding in the present day.

The Nationals agreed to terms on an eight-year contract -- including two club options -- with Ruiz on Saturday, the club announced. The contract begins in 2023 and runs through the 2030 season with club options for the 2031 and 2032 seasons. The deal is worth $50 million, per a source. The club has not confirmed the financial aspects of the deal.

"I’ve been working my whole life for this moment," Ruiz said, sitting next to general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez at Saturday’s press conference. "This is, for me, just the start and I’ve got to … take responsibility and help this team win."

Ruiz, 24, is entering his second full season with the Nationals and fourth in the Majors. Since joining the Nats, he has become a well-liked, quiet leader in the clubhouse. The presence of several of his teammates, staff and front office members at his press conference was a testament to that.

"With a deal of this length and this type of money, it's more about the person that we sign more than the player," said Rizzo. "And we feel very confident that we've got ourselves a great person and a great player in Keibert."

Ruiz said he did not expect a contract extension when he arrived at Spring Training. He was not arbitration-eligible until 2025, and was not set to hit free agency until after the 2027 season.

"My first [reaction]? I said ‘yes’ right away," Ruiz said with a laugh. "But we waited a little bit. I’m just happy for this moment and for everything."

Ruiz’s eight-year contract is the team’s longest deal since Stephen Strasburg’s seven-year, $245 million contract in December of 2019. The only player to receive a multi-year contract this offseason was a two-year deal with free-agent veteran right-hander Trevor Williams.

"We thought long and hard about it,” said Rizzo. "... I think the best deals you could do are that both sides are a little uneasy about it, where there's a long-term deal on the table, the team has a little bit of risk there and the player has a little bit of risk that he's locked in for that many years. So I think that those are the best deals -- when there's a little uneasiness on both sides -- I think you've come to a good, fair deal and I think that's what we discussed here. We discussed different terms of a deal, and Keibert wanted the longest-term deal we discussed."

Last season, the switch-hitting Ruiz batted .251 with a career-high 36 RBIs and seven home runs. He worked this winter on incorporating his legs more into his swing and staying in the middle of the field.

Ruiz also has been lauded for the growth of his voice behind the plate. This season, he will be tasked with catching veteran starters such as Patrick Corbin and Trevor Williams, as well as pitchers playing their first full Major League season, Cade Cavalli and MacKenzie Gore. Ruiz has emphasized a desire for the pitching staff to have confidence and a level of comfort with him.

"I've always said this about him: I think eventually he will be one of our leaders in that clubhouse,” said Martinez. “He's very soft-spoken, but when he speaks, he is really good and he really means what he says. I'm really happy for him. I'm really happy for his family. But we often talk about how we invest in players. I think it's kind of the other way: He's investing in us for the long term and that means a lot. It really does.”

Ruiz signed with the Dodgers as an international free agent out of Venezuela on July 20, 2014. He was traded to the Nationals as part of the Max Scherzer-Trea Turner blockbuster on July 30, 2021, ranking as MLB Pipeline's No. 41 overall prospect at the time.

That deal was a pivotal moment in the Nationals building for their future with a young, developing foundation. As Ruiz’s future teammates – and batterymates – continue to grow, his contract extension has solidified who will be behind the plate when they join him in the Majors.

“You look at a lot of championship caliber clubs, the catcher is the core piece,” said Rizzo. “He’s kind of the captain or the general on the field. … The good thing about Keibert is, the pitching staff is as important to him as his batting average. I think that’s a huge statement. And as he gets to catch and gets to know these pitchers, not only on the team now but on the team in the future, I think they’re only going to grow together. When you’re trying to build this thing from the ground up, I think that’s an important aspect to it.”