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Sign Mark Ellis!

Every single team can benefit from signing Mark Ellis. Don't believe me?

Indians_athletics_baseball_oas109300x377_medium

via www.sfgate.com


 

Star-divide

Arizona - Orlando Hudson is a free agent and the D-Backs have one of the best pitching staffs in the league, why not boost that defense up a level?

Atlanta - Walt Weiss began his career in Oakland and finished in Atlanta. Ellis is not Walt Weiss, but that's not important.

Baltimore - Could fill the shortstop gap and allow Brandon Fahey to do what he does best: act like a bird.

Boston - Theo Epstein enjoys everyone else's pain and signs Ellis to make baseball's best team even better.

Chicago AL - With Alexei Ramirez moving to short the White Sox will need some defensive help up the middle.

Chicago NL - Can he really be worse than Mark DeRosa or Ryan Theriot?

Cincinnati - See Bendix's piece, circa last week.

Cleveland - See Bendix's dreams, circa last week.

Colorado - Call it the Kazuo Matsui effect.

Detroit - To replace Edgar Renteria.

Florida - Because apparently trading Dan Uggla is a possibility.

Houston - Ed Wade loves middle relievers and infielders.

Kansas City - The Royals are due for another former Athletic.

Los Angeles of Anaheim - Taking a nice piece from a division rival never hurts.

Los Angeles - Blake Dewitt moves back to third and Ellis takes over at second.

Milwaukee - Because one starting second baseman is better than two.

Minnesota - He reminds them of a poor man's Nick Punto, when really it's the other way around.

New York AL - To replace the dealt Robbie Cano.

New York NL - Because somehow they'll miss out on Orlando Hudson.

Oakland - Billy Beane should be able to hold onto one of "his guys".

Philadelphia - Chase Utley gets tired, sometimes?

Pittsburgh - Why not?

San Diego - Paul DePodesta and company have to know how undervalued Ellis is, and how nice he would look in their uniforms.

San Francisco - Brian Sabean decides he wants a veteran and doesn't need that second round pick anyways.

St. Louis - Adam Kennedy part two? Not so much.

Tampa Bay - Second base is one of the few positions the Rays can upgrade that won't have a stud prospect blocked for at least a few years.

Texas - Ian Kinsler is the better hitter but his glove loves something to be desired.

Toronto - Because J.P. Ricciardi does not have enough talented middle infielders all ready and could use Ellis to move Aaron Hill for another bat.

Washington - Not only can Ellis raise TV ratings, but he's got enough range to help the new president decide on national defense matters while he works on the Nationals' defense.

 

0 recs  |  Comment 12 comments

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After the point, but re: Kinsler, anyway.

Certainly Ellis is a much better fielder, but I would think moving Kinsler to a position where his offense is less valuable because of one bad season after have a +7 the year before and range for miles would have been a bad strategy going forward.

by philkid3 on Oct 19, 2008 3:11 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Can Ellis play shortsop?

If so OMG I’d be all for that.

MY is saying in no uncertain terms though that he doesn’t want to move because he’s a good shortstop and blah, blah, blah.

Being a very selfless team captain.

by philkid3 on Oct 19, 2008 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm guessing he'd be a league average shortstop.

I’m certain he would be better than Young defensively.

by R.J. Anderson on Oct 19, 2008 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Ellis's injury in 2004 basically removed any possibility of him playing shortstop

At the time, they thought it would finish his career, but he managed to make a semi-miraculous comeback.

He has such an accurate arm and good footwork that he can make up for his lack of arm strength at second. That won’t wash for SS, though.

To put this in run terms, the average player is about 5 runs worse defensively at short than he is at second. Ellis would probably be 20 runs worse.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Oct 19, 2008 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

JJ Hardy it is, then.

Oh wait. MY wouldn’t move for a “scrub.”

by philkid3 on Oct 19, 2008 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Could you keep it down?

Ellis can just be our little secret please.

by SkipT on Oct 19, 2008 6:53 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Boston don't need no Ellis.

We gots us a Ped-royer.

Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Oct 19, 2008 6:56 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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