Carlos Ruiz packed up his locker on Monday with the rest of the Phillies players and said his goodbyes for the winter. But the goodbyes for Chooch were likely a bit tougher due to the uncertainty of whether or not Ruiz will ever be back in the Citizens Bank Park clubhouse to put on a Phillies uniform again.
Chooch now has the ability to test the free agent waters. He spoke to CSN's Leslie Gudel about that opportunity yesterday and you got the feeling he wanted to return to Philadelphia next season as long as the contract Ruben Amaro Jr. offers him is respectable.
It seems like a situation where you'd think both sides could come to terms that would be okay for all involved. The Phillies don't really have another catcher waiting to step right in and get his opportunity and despite getting up there in years, Chooch showed down the stretch that he can still swing a bat and call a pretty great game.
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And heck, with the Phillies likely struggling to put as many butts in the seats next season, having Chooch in the lineup certainly won't hurt the city's morale.