The Los Angeles Dodgers made their first trade of the offseason Monday, shipping outfielder Esteury Ruiz to the Miami Marlins in exchange for 18-year-old outfielder Adriano Marrero.
Ruiz played a minimal role with the Dodgers in 2025, having joined the team in April after the Athletics put him on waivers. He played 19 games with the Dodgers, slashing .190/.261/.333 while going a perfect 4-for-4 on steal attempts.
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In the minors, Ruiz dominated the base paths with his speed, logging 63 stolen bases. He has shown the ability to do the same in the majors, having led the American League with 67 stolen bases in 2023 while with the A’s.
The Marlins signed Marrero as an international free agent at the beginning of the year, and he made 10 appearances in the Dominican Summer League last season. He had a 3.82 ERA through 33 innings pitched, and allowed just one home run during those games. He also managed 35 strikeouts and excelled at generating ground-ball contact with a 6.00 groundout-to-airout ratio.
With Ruiz now off of their 40-man roster, the Dodgers only have 39 of their spots filled. This raises some interesting questions as far as their next move in the offseason, and gives them space to make a signing.
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What Can The Dodgers Do With Their Open Roster Spot?
The Dodgers’ most likely plan of action after trading Ruiz is making a signing to address their hole in left field. Michael Conforto had manned the position for a majority of last season, but with Conforto now out of the conversation, the Dodgers need to find their full-time man for 2026.
The biggest free agent names linked to the Dodgers this offseason are Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, and other players like Steven Kwan, Jarren Duran and Brendan Donovan have also been mentioned in the same breath as LA.
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If the Dodgers are to put off an outfielder, though, they could still look to strengthen their bullpen — even after acquiring Edwin Diaz. The Dodgers had more than just a closing problem in their bullpen last season, and could realistically add some middle relief options if they see fit.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
