There’s mutual interest between the Phillies and veteran catcher A.J. Ellis about a reunion for the 2017 season, reports ESPN’s Jayson Stark. The Phils would like to have Ellis back and consider him both a leader and an “unofficial coach,” Stark notes.
The 35-year-old Ellis (36 in April) went from the Dodgers to the Phils alongside Tommy Bergjans and Joey Curletta in a surprising August swap that sent fellow veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz to Los Angeles. Ellis logged just 11 games with the Phils but showed well, hitting .333/.371/.500 in a tiny sample of 35 plate appearances. Those numbers brought up his overall season production a bit, but he still finished the year with an overall disappointing line of .216/.301/.298.
As it stands, the Phils project to have Cameron Rupp as their everyday catcher on the heels of a solid season. Rupp hit .252/.303/.447 with 16 homers and controlled the running game at an average rate (27 percent) while drawing slightly below-average framing marks from Baseball Prospectus. Ellis would profile as a backup to the 28-year-old Rupp and would offer a veteran source of advice for a pitching staff that, outside of right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, is quite young and lacks significant experience. None of Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez or Jerad Eickhoff has thrown even 250 innings in the Major Leagues, and the Phils’ fifth starter will likely have even less experience. (Jake Thompson, Alec Asher, Zach Eflin and Ben Lively are among the candidates.)
Ellis would also serve as a stopgap to catching prospects Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp, both of whom come with MLB upside but likely require additional minor league seasoning. If Ellis ultimately lands elsewhere, the free-agent market offers many other options for the Phils, as names like Kurt Suzuki, Alex Avila, Geovany Soto, Ryan Hanigan, Jeff Mathis and Chris Iannetta, among others, are all available this offseason.
wondering if the Phillies would do a Chris Archer trade with the Rays getting one of their young catchers a young outfielder and pitcher …..Archer for Andrew Knapp; Roman Quinn and Ben Lively.. Archer is signed for 5 years so he will be there when the Phils become contenders in the next couple of years …The Rays get a young catcher (lefthanded to platton with Maile or Casale) an athletic outfielder in Quinn and a young potential starter in Ben Lively……..
Wouldn’t make sense. Phillies need the prospects to build their own club, and while Archer would improve the staff, removing Quinn, Knapp, and Lively would be a massive blow to the phillies future outlook.
Hooligan – I couldn’t agree with you more. Seriously take Quinn out of the picture? The guy is lightening quick around the bases and plays good defense. And Lively looks like a pitcher who is going to be a decent 3 or 4. Knapp is a power catcher which is in short short supply.
Agreed…Archer just doesn’t fit with the Phillies’ current rebuilding strategy, which will focus more on adding quantity rather than the quality of one pitcher. I would think that a team like Texas could match up quite well with Tampa Bay in an Archer deal, though. For the Phillies, trading Caesar and/or Vinny V this offseason would be good sell-high opportunities for the club, and, with the market starved of starting pitching, I would almost expect Vinny’s new club to offer a bit more than usual to pry him away from Philly.
no it wouldnt. they have Herrera for center, Alfaro to catch and guys like Eflin and Thompson for the rotation. id do that deal in a minute if i was the phils
Agreed. Alfaro is the future, not Knapp. Quinn can’t stay healthy and looks like the odd guy out if the Phils start adding free agent power-hitting outfielders (which I hope they do eventually). This would be a good trade for the Phillies.
If the Phillies want Chris Archer, they’d have to start with guys like J.P, Crawford, Vince Velasquez, Aaron Nola, etc. Tampa Bay isn’t trading five years of Archer at a total of $38.5MM for three second-tier prospects.
My thought as well. Phillies aren’t getting Archer for that.
Personally don’t think the proposal makes sense for the Phillies, but if it did, certainly let lively,knapp, and Quinn go, if I thought archer had ace potential. All of those prospects face stiff competition to make the future team
Knapp needs to beat out Rupp & Alfaro
If he plays first – Hoskins, Joseph and Ortiz
Lively – has to fight for one open spot – Appel,Efflin, Thompson, pinto, Gowdy, Kilome .. Etc he is expendable – but if i where you, I’d slected someone else from the phils farm
Quinn – could be a decent loss, and the main piece in your trade proposal, but he is injury prone, and the Phils have Herrera, moniak, and Rudolph coming … Plus williams,cozens, athlerr, and possibly a few others…
I could cerraibly part with those players, I’d hate to lose Quinn, reminds me of bourn, but ya gotta give to get. The other two, are not likely to be the pieces of the future and are expenable.
Take Quinn, his legs keep going out
I don’t see the Phils including Lively in a trade like that. They do have other pitchers that could intrigue the Rays if the two sides would discuss a trade.
any suggestions on the piitchers the Phils would offer?
The Phillies could possibly intrigue them with Ricardo Pinto and maybe Tyler Goeddel along with Knapp and Quinn
Tyler Goeddel is a former Ray…if they get Quinn they would not need another outfielder Ricardo .Pinto ..ok ..
Yeah look for a very similar package for Sale if not more for Archer. You start with untouchables like Crawford Moniak etc..
Did the Dodgers ever offer their top prospects for Hamels a few years back? No, no they didn’t. In fact many teams way over value their top propsects, and maybe the league is starting to catch on. No way am I giving up Crawford, moniak, Alfaro and or Franco for archer … I’ll pass, and take my chances. Phillies need offense, not more pitching at this point in their rebuild.
You’re nuts
No way it happens.
Any deal for Archer would probably start with two of Moniak, Crawford, Alfaro, Herrera, Nola or Franco. 5 years of a potential #1 isn’t gonna come for 3 10-30 organization prospects or he would have been traded forever ago.
I really don’t think anyone would give up prospects of that caliber for Archer. I mean who would sell high on Archer right now? He was a borderline 4th starter masquerading as a #1 this year. He’s a bit low candidate like Sonny Gray.
I’m not saying Archer has not proven himself in the past it’s just you need to go off the latest prescient which would be his latest sample of a 9-19 4.02 ERA with 30 HR 233 Ks 67 BB with a 1.242 WHIP.
Those numbers are not “ace” numbers and definitely do not get one of the best prospects in baseball (Crawford), the number 1 overall pick in the latest draft (Moniak), proven Major Leaguers (Franco and Herra) one of the better catching prospects in the league right now (Alfaro) or even a unproven #2 ceiling starter (Nola). Let alone you don’t even start with 2 of these guys, you don’t start with any of them.
These guys wouldn’t even be mentioned let alone considered in an Archer trade. Archer going to Philly makes no sense anyway.
Nola is a 2 and Archer a 4? Yeah no.
Nola has 2 ceiling and Archer pitched like a 4 you clearly didn’t read my comment, you just saw numbers and ran
Philly fans sure looking as bright as ever in this thread.
Great comment brah!
It wasn’t a Phillies fan who brought up all of this Archer trade nonsense
Not brighter than your turquoise colored shirt!
not against the idea of bringing back Ellis, as a veteran, and to mentor the young catchers. but i dont see how you have both Alfaro and Knapp in the minors- no point in sending one back to AA.
if rosters expand to 26 you could conceivably carry 3 catchers and Knapp gets some first base work at times.
but somes more likely a trade in the works- trading high on Rupp would certainly be an idea with Alfaro waiting in wings. Rupp seems like a leader on the team, but Ellis’ presence would ease his loss. or if keeping Rupp, deal Knapp, though not sure his value as teams arent wild about his defense.
and maybe in a year, when Mackanin continues to show he isnt a major league manager, Ellis steps in.
I’m for selling high on Rupp. It’s a gamble, but I roll the dice that Alfaro has the better career, use knapp as the backup or the defensive catcher in the lower minors later on. Ideally Alfaro turns out to be the best of the bunch, with Rupp as his backup. Package Rupp and VV together, should get an awesome player in return. Time to sell high is certainly this offseason
Phillies aren’t getting archer for a bundle of spare parts in their minors. Gonna take nick Williams and lively and Quinn.
Would wither Texas team consider him?…based upon his upbringing there
All the money they have to spend and this is the best can do? We’re not the Pirates.