PBR - The lone person to benefit from Carlos Ruiz's suspension for using amphetamines is Erik Kratz.
The 32-year-old will enter spring training as the club's top catcher on the depth chart (at least through the first month) and likely will shoulder the majority of starts until Ruiz returns from his suspension in late April.
Kratz appeared in 50 games with the Phillies last season, hitting .248 with nine homers and 26 RBIs. The majority of his playing time (39 games) came over the final two months of the season following injuries to Ruiz and Brian Schneider.
Ironically, the Phillies added catching depth on Tuesday even before the Ruiz news broke - signing free agent catcher Humberto Quintero earlier in the day to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. The 33-year-old hit one homer and collected 19 RBIs in 43 games with the Royals last season.
- Patrick Gordon is the editor of the Philadelphia Baseball Review. Contact him at pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com or @Philabaseball on Twitter.
