Dodgers acquire former stolen-base champ Ruiz from A's

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired former stolen-base champion Esteury Ruiz from the Athletics in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Duran, the teams announced.

Ruiz had been designated for assignment by the A's on Sunday.

Speed is the 26-year-old's greatest asset. Ruiz stole an AL-high 67 bases in 2023, making him just the second rookie in the wild-card era (since 1995) to record a 60-steal season. He could become an important bench weapon for the Dodgers as a pinch-runner during the postseason.

However, Ruiz's overall game still has plenty of holes. He's a lifetime .243/.297/.343 hitter with just seven home runs over 178 big-league games since 2022. He also committed eight errors in 2023, which led all MLB outfielders that season.

Ruiz was sidelined for much of last season with a wrist injury, ultimately playing just 29 games in the majors and another 16 in the minors in 2024 as he fell out of favor with the A's.

The Dodgers are sending Ruiz to Triple-A Oklahoma City, as he has two-minor-league options remaining, according to ESPN's Alden González.

Duran, the pitcher heading to the A's, is a 6-foot-7 right-hander who pitched at three minor-league levels last season. The 23-year-old posted a cumulative 3.71 ERA and 1.58 WHIP with 73 strikeouts over 19 starts across three minor-league levels. He opened 2025 at Triple-A, where he struck out eight in his first start of the year.

To make room for Ruiz on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred pitcher Kyle Hurt to the 60-day injured list.