The Dodgers’ roster shuffle continues, and this time, it’s speedster Esteury Ruiz packing his bags for South Florida. The 26-year-old outfielder, once the fastest man on the basepaths in Major League Baseball, has been traded to the Miami Marlins after a brief and largely forgettable stint in Los Angeles.
A Flash of Speed, but a Fading Role in L.A.
The move comes less than a year after the Dodgers acquired Ruiz in a trade with the Oakland Athletics. Expectations were cautious but hopeful, after all, Ruiz wasn’t far removed from his 2023 campaign with the A’s, where he led all of baseball with an eye-popping 67 stolen bases. That kind of speed is rare in today’s game, where power and plate discipline often steal the spotlight. But unfortunately for Ruiz, speed alone wasn’t enough to keep him in the big-league lineup.
In 2025, Ruiz appeared in just 19 games for L.A., managing a meager .594 OPS with one home run and just four hits in 21 at-bats. While those numbers paint a picture of a struggling hitter, his performance in Triple-A told a different story. Splitting time between A’s and Dodgers affiliates, Ruiz posted a .923 OPS with 16 homers and an impressive 63 stolen bases. His raw athleticism never disappeared, but consistency and opportunity did.
Miami Bets on Untapped Potential
Now he’s heading to Miami, his third organization in two years, with a chance to fight for a roster spot in a Marlins outfield that could use a jolt of energy. It’s a classic low-risk, high-upside move for a team in search of spark. Ruiz’s speed gives him instant value on the basepaths, and if he can refine his approach at the plate, there’s still a path to regular playing time. For Miami, the gamble is simple: can Ruiz become more than just a specialist?
The Dodgers Double Down on Development
In exchange, the Dodgers receive Adriano Marrero, an 18-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Summer League. Marrero, signed by the Marlins in early 2025, has struck out 35 batters in 33 innings, a modest but intriguing stat line that hints at raw potential. It’s a long-term play for L.A., a franchise not afraid to dig deep into the pipeline and bet on projection over polish.
At its core, this trade reflects two teams in very different places: the Dodgers, always planning two or three steps ahead, and the Marlins, looking for immediate sparks. Ruiz’s journey continues in Miami, and with it, the question lingers: can elite speed earn him another big-league chance, or is he destined to be a Triple-A marvel without a long-term home?
