Marlins trade Ruggiano to Cubs for Brian Bogusevic

[MiamiHomer]

clarkspencer @clarkspencer
Hearing that the #Marlins are about to trade OF Justin Ruggiano. Don't know yet where, or for what in return

...

[Big Z]

@justinruggiano: Miami fans, you have been amazing the last two years. There is a lot to be excited about in south Florida! Thank you for everything!

Twitter

He gone

[Miamarlin21]

Well darn.
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Traded to the Cubs.

[MiamiHomer]

Christina De Nicola @CDeNicola13
#Marlins acquire OF Brian Bogusevic from Cubs in exchange for OF Justin Ruggiano

...

[Miamarlin21]

Juan C. Rodriguez @JCRMarlinsbeat 47s
RT @MarlinsMedia: Marlins acquire OF Brian Bogusevic from Cubs in exchange for OF Justin Ruggiano

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[MiamiHomer]

I don't really get this trade.

[Miamarlin21]

Same.

[Big Z]

Wtf is this.

[BigGameFish]

Salary dump

[Nick]

Well, maybe this means Dobbs is gone, which would obviously be a good thing.

[marlinsfan24]

I don't quite understand what the hell this team is trying to do.

[fauowls44]

Saves some money. Bogusevic hits righties well. Both play all 3 OF spots. That's all I got. Hopefully saving the $2-3 million from Ruggiano and Morrison will be used to land a 3B.

[Miamarlin21]

He has 2.071 years of service time.
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Well, at least he's a former first rounder.

[MiamiHomer]

The Marlins traded outfielder Justin Ruggiano to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Brian Bogusevic on Thursday.

Ruggiano lost his starting role this season with the call-ups of Jake Marisnick and Christian Yelich. He batted .222 with the second-most home runs (18) and RBI (50) on the team over 128 games. Ruggiano also battled through a 0-for-42 hitless streak, just missing the MLB mark by four at-bats.

Arbitration eligible for the first time, the 31-year-old hit .313 with 13 homers and 36 RBI in 2012 after arriving via a trade with the Astros that May.

Bogusevic, who is not arbitration eligible until 2015, batted .273 with six homers and 16 RBI over 47 games with the Cubs. In 79 games with Triple-A Iowa he posted a .317 average, 14 doubles, three triples, 10 homers and 32 RBI.

The 29-year-old spent parts of three seasons before that with the Astros, where he batted .227 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI. Bogusevic, like Ruggiano, can play all three outfield positions.

"It was just within the framework of our plan," said Michael Hill, president of baseball operations. "This has been ongoing, because we had been talking to the Cubs awhile on a number of different things. So this was just part (of it). There were conversations throughout just as we looked to reshape our roster.

"It just gives us flexibility. We were essentially able to replace Ruggiano's skillsets with a more flexible piece to allow us to do some other things. You can only slice the pie so many ways, so we have to try to stretch it as best we can."

Reached via text, Ruggiano replied that he "couldn't be happier about it."

Miami has remained active this offseason, acquiring free agent catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, infielder Rafael Furcal and first baseman Garrett Jones. The Marlins traded Logan Morrison to the Mariners for right-handed reliever Carter Capps.

In the Rule 5 Draft, the Marlins took AAA OF Brady Shoemaker (CWS), AAA 3B Tony Thompson (OAK) and AA RHP Kelvin Castro (NYY).

Marlins trade Justin Ruggiano to Cubs for Brian Bogusevic

So it opens up the use of cash for 3B.

[lou]

Salary dump. Morrison and Ruggiano "save" around $2.5 million combined (it's more but being replacement by minimum plays lowers it $1).

This puts payroll around $44