Justin Ruggiano, Retired

Date of Birth: 4/12/1982
Birthplace: Austin, Texas
College: Texas A&M

Justin Ruggiano, retired outfielder, was first drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004. He played in the Dodgers' minor league system from 2004 until they traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006. He then continued in the minor leagues through 2011, playing with the Rays for just 7 games in 2007, 45 games in 2008, and 46 games in 2011.

Ruggiano became a free agent on January 30, 2012, and seven days later he signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros. After playing for a few months in the Astros' minor league system, they traded him to the Miami Marlins at the end of May, 2012. He played in 91 games with the Marlins that year, batting .313 with 90 hits, 23 doubles, 13 home runs, and 14 stolen bases.

In 2013, Ruggiano batted .222 with 94 hits, 18 doubles, 18 home runs, and 15 stolen bases in 128 games with the Marlins. He played defensively primarily in center field.

In December, 2013, the Marlins traded Ruggiano to the Chicago Cubs. He finished the 2014 season with 63 hits, 13 doubles, and a .281 batting average in 81 games.

Ruggiano was traded to the Seattle Mariners on December 17, 2014. He was designated for assignment by the Mariners on June 4, 2015. He was traded to the Dodgers on August 31st. He finished the season with 31 hits and a .248 batting average in 36 games with the Mariners and 21 games with the Dodgers. Defensively, he played 22 games in left field, 15 games in center field, and 13 games in right field. In 4 at-bats in the postseason, he had no hits and 3 strikeouts.

Ruggiano signed with the Texas Rangers on December 17, 2015. The Rangers released him on July 26, 2016, and he signed with the New York Mets four days later. He spent time on the DL and played in just 1 game with the Rangers and 8 games with the Mets in 2016.

Ruggiano became a free agent on November 4, 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants on January 3, 2017. He was designated for assignment on June 2nd and he elected free agency two days later. He spent most of the 2017 season in the minors, playing in just 19 games with the Giants. He was released in July, 2017.

Ruggiano retired in 2017.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Justin Ruggiano
ESPN - Justin Ruggiano