The Angels are adding infielder Drew Ellis on a minor league contract, per an announcement from his now-former team in the independent Atlantic League: the Charleston Dirty Birds. Ellis’ contract was purchased from the Dirty Birds by the Angels yesterday, per the announcement. Presumably, he’ll head to the Halos’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City.
Ellis, 28, has appeared in each of the past three major league seasons, spending time with the D-backs, Mariners and Phillies. He’s only tallied 129 overall plate appearances, during which he’s popped three homers and walked at a 13.2% clip while struggling to an overall .157/.295/.269 batting line. Ellis has fanned in 31.8% of those 129 trips to the plate. He’s played first base, second base and third base in the majors, plus a pair of minor league games at shortstop and 37 games in left field back in his days at the University of Louisville.
Originally drafted by the Diamondbacks back in 2017, Ellis was that year’s No. 44 overall pick. Baseball America ranked him 66th in that year’s draft class and pegged him as high as ninth in Arizona’s system at one point, touting his plus power, athleticism and solid skills at the hot corner.
In parts of three Triple-A seasons, Ellis has shown off that power and a good approach at the plate but still hit for a low average. He’s a career .247/.364/.500 hitter at the minors’ top level. Given his big league contact issues and that low average, it’s easy to suspect he’s been excessively strikeout prone in the minors. But while Ellis has fanned at a slightly higher-than-average 24.3% rate in Triple-A, the greater culprit has been his penchant for weak infield flies. He’s totaled 1124 Triple-A plate appearances and popped up to the infield a staggering 86 times. That propensity has undercut his plate discipline and impressive power.
The Angels are in clear need of some infield depth, making their pickup of Ellis plenty understandable. The Halos just acquired veteran Luis Guillorme from the Braves and moved Anthony Rendon to the 60-day injured list. Rendon will be out until at least late June. Brandon Drury exited his most recent game due to a hamstring issue and seems likely to head to the injured list. Infielders Miguel Sano and Michael Stefanic are also on the IL. The Angels are currently rostering both Ehire Adrianza and Cole Tucker, but neither has provided any offense in an eight-game sample. Niko Goodrum was claimed off waivers from the Rays today. Ellis will give them some depth with a bit of versatility and a nice track record of power and on-base skills in Triple-A, should the Halos eventually want to shuffle their bench mix or in the event that they incur further injuries.
did someone show perry his aaa roster?
How about moving schanuel to third, and Bring up evan white.
Evan “Rehab Assignment” White hasn’t played at AAA yet this season.
Didn’t know that
Ugly Scene
Dock Ellis? Isn’t he…dead?
Claiming waivers players and signing unaffiliated minor leaguers is not “depth”. That’s an owner looking to sell or move the team.
Every team makes these kinds of moves
Lies. No it’s not. Angels are not selling and there not moving
Depth is good unless it’s bad depth.
Time to deal for Jamie Westbrook or Rylan Bannon. Low cost third basemen with experience elsewhere around the dirt, and both ripe for a cheap “purchase deal”. Each in need of a shot at a major league job.
Good move. And now Angry arte should have 1 tv per injury installed in the locker room behind thick protective glass on constant replay loops of each of trout’s many injuries so that all of his injuries are on a continuous replay loop on the locker room. To try to help subliminally convince trout that it’s time for him to retire because that’s what would be best for the organization. Also Angry arte and other team officials could show trout an extensive presentation detailing his decline that began in 2020 and how Anaheim would he able to use the more than a quarter of a billion $$ remaining on trout’s contract to improve and rebuild the team. Enough is enough.
Typical dodger fan
Private account coward
@user, who the F are you? You’re obviously not a fan and certainly aren’t amusing. Please go pleasure yourself some where else.
Not even brian cashman is enough of a stupid idiot to take on the rest of trout’s albatross contract, AngelsFan.
Typical dodger fan
@angelsfan1968 pretty sure it’s the same person that was saying Mauer made the hall of fame, and he shouldn’t have, and trout won’t be in hall of fame Yada Yada. Months ago
@RexHudler86, your probably right. I’m sure the person also has multiple accounts. I can’t believe the ‘likes’ it gets.
Mariners legend
Does anyone know what happened Skagg wrongful death lawsuit? I thought the trial would start around this time.
“A trial originally scheduled to begin in October (2023) has been postponed because of pretrial motions pertaining to evidence.”
That was from an article about Eric Kay (convicted drug supplier). After reading the article where it talks about what he said and thought of Skaggs and his family after being convicted, I find Kay nauseating. Truly awful person.
latimes.com/sports/story/2023-11-16/eric-kay-appea…
Surprised the Angels and Pirates didn’t have a swap considering they (Indy) have a few players at AAA who are chopping at the bit to be called back up.
Ok Perry Minasian This is becoming Comedy Central all that’s left is for Arte Moreno dress in a clown suit BOZO throw a big tent over Anaheim Stadium
Halo and goodbye
Nobody scrapes the bottom of the barrel like the Angels.