Carlos Ruiz Leaves Farewell Message on Philadelphia Phillies Whiteboard

On Thursday, the Philadelphia Phillies traded Carlos Ruiz to the Los Angeles Dodgers for A.J. Ellis, a minor league pitcher and a player to be named. Though the swap of veteran catchers may seem trivial, each squad lost a beloved member of its clubhouse.

With the Phillies since 2006, Ruiz left a simple yet touching farewell to his teammates before leaving for Los Angeles.

"I will miss all of you guys," the 37-year-old wrote. "Good luck the rest of the season. Love you all, Chooch! Gracias."

If his goodbye didn't leave anyone teary-eyed, the Phillies' tribute to Ruiz might:

The Dodgers also had a tough time bidding adieu to Ellis, who joined the club in 2008. Teammate and close friend Clayton Kershaw was especially sad to see his batterymate go.

Though they're light-hitting catchers, Ruiz and Ellis offer a steady presence behind the plate. Ryan Howard is the only player remaining in Philadelphia from the Phillies' 2008 World Series-winning roster.

[Twitter, h/t For The Win]