Next up: Phillies sign Ruiz through 2012

So much for arbitration. Just days after Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino signed 3 year deals to avoid arbitration, Carlos Ruiz, the final Phillie facing arbitration this offseason, also signed a 3 year extension to stay with the Phils.

According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, Ruiz has agreed to stay with the Phillies through 2012 for roughly 9 million. Given how valuable Ruiz is as a handler of the pitchers and as a clutch hitter, I'd say the Phillies got a great deal to keep him at 3 million per year.

Your Phillies are now basically set for the next few years. The entire offense, with the exception of Jayson Werth, is under contract for the next two seasons. The top 4 in the rotation (Halladay, Hamels, Blanton and Happ) are also locked in, so the Phillies clearly plan to keep the championship window open by retaining the current roster for as long as possible. It would be nice if the Phillies could also find a way to sign Werth to a long-term deal but they might have a hard time finding enough money in the budget for him.

I, for one, can't wait to see three more years of Choochtober!