Mar 2, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis (14) poses for a picture during the Dodgers photo day at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-US PRESSWIRE
The Player: Mark Ellis
The 2011 Line: 132 Games, 519 PA, .248 BA, .288 OBP, .346 SLUG%, 7 HR, 41 RBI
The Pros: Defense, defense, defense. Ellis was signed because of his stellar glove. Since 2007, Ellis has posted a positive Defensive WAR, according to Baseball-Reference. When looking at Fangraphs, he had only one season of sub-3 UZR since 2003. He has shown flashes of decent power for a second baseman, hitting 34 home runs in the last four seasons.
The Cons: Six of the seven home runs Ellis hit last season were in Coors Field. He has a career OPS of .728, meaning his bat won’t be much of a deciding factor during the course of a full season. His OBP should rebound from last year, but not by much.
The Consensus: Ellis will hopefully bring a certain degree of stability to a position that has seen a lot of turnover the last two years, between Blake DeWitt, Ryan Theriot, Jamey Carroll, Aaron Miles and Juan Uribe. Ellis will also be a significant aid for Dee Gordon, who projects as the Opening Day shortstop. Gordon is still young and raw, and Ellis provides a safety net of sorts up the middle. As far as offense goes, he should see a .320 OBP and a handful of home runs.
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