Mark Ellis

Mark Ellis

46-Year-Old Second Baseman2B
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Mark Ellis in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Agreed to a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Cardinals in December of 2013.
2BFree Agent  
February 25, 2015
Ellis is retiring from baseball after 12 seasons, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
ANALYSIS
Ellis played for the Cardinals last season but spent most of his career -- nine seasons -- with the A's. Known best for his defense, he will hang up the cleats after compiling 105 home runs, 550 RBI, and a .991 fielding percentage over 1,435 games.
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2003
Ellis signed with the Cardinals before last season as a Plan B to prospect Kolten Wong. He had a shot at taking the starting second baseman job and running with it after Wong struggled early in the season but did absolutely nothing with it, finishing the season with a terrible .180/.253/.213 line in just 178 at-bats. Part of his woeful offensive performance can be explained by a .225 BABIP that was well below his career mark of .291. Wong is now firmly entrenched as the Cardinals' second baseman, which allowed the Cards to let Ellis hit the open market as a free agent during the offseason. If he returns for another big league season, it will almost certainly be in a utility role.
Injuries and the need to rest his aging legs meant Ellis failed to top 132 games (126 in 2013) for the sixth straight season. He batted .270/.323/.351 with a career-low 21 extra-base hits. Ellis is still solid defensively, leading the Cardinals to sign him to a one-year deal as an insurance policy for Kolten Wong. If Wong struggles, Ellis could wind up seeing more playing time than expected in 2014, but he'll at least have situational value as middle-infield filler in NL-only formats even if he serves the Cards merely as Wong's backup.
A leg injury limited Ellis to just 110 games in 2012, and he managed to deliver a so-so .258/.333/.364 effort with seven home runs and five steals. Ellis turns 36 in June, and at this point in his career, he's obviously seen better days. Ellis should open as the team's starting second baseman, but the team will be looking to upgrade at some point very shortly.
There was a time that Ellis basically defined Moneyball, as a relatively cheap second baseman who could pick it and put up a high on-base percentage. Now Ellis is a 34-year-old with diminishing skills at the plate. His power has sharply declined over the past two seasons and last year saw his on-base percentage fall all the way to .288. He looked better with Colorado (.708 OPS) than Oakland (.544 OPS), but that is to be expected given the parks in those cities. Don't expect Ellis' bat to thrive in the cavernous Chavez Ravine, but he'll enter spring training atop the Dodgers' depth chart at second base.
Ellis continues to miss a good chunk of action each season, though the 124 games played in 2010 was his highest total since 2007. His decent power/speed combo has dried up, however, and he'll have marginal value in those years where he hits .270-plus (a feat he's accomplished just twice since 2006 despite a career .268 average). The A's value his defense enough where he'll play as long as he's healthy no matter how poorly he hits, which could lead to a limited run production and a poor average over a ton of at-bats as he ages.
A calf injury shelved Ellis for 60 days and limited him to just 105 games on the season. He'll continue to provide decent value in traditional leagues, but those in more advanced leagues need to factor in his poor OBP (.305) and SLG (.403) before getting enamored with his decent power/speed combo. While a repeat of double-digit homers and steals is within reach, the supporting numbers are unlikely to impress.
He already re-upped with the A's for two more years, electing not to test the free agent market after shoulder surgery in September. His regressing batting eye has led to wild fluctuations in his batting average over the past several seasons, though he remains a decent power/speed combo for a second baseman. He's the anti-Jack Cust though, in that the more advanced scoring your league uses the worse Ellis gets. He's expected to be healthy by the time spring training rolls around.
Ellis' value varies greatly depending on your league format. His 19 HR/nine SB season is nice for those in traditional 4x4 or 5x5 leagues, but his .276/.336/.441 line drives down his value for those in more advanced leagues. His batting eye has regressed in each of the past three years, so there's some concern that his power spike might not sustain. Last season could have been his career year, so be careful.
Ellis saw his average plummet 67 points from 2005's .316 mark, though his power hardly dipped at all. He came back strong from a broken thumb in June, and managed to hit a combined .290 the final two months. He's a bottom of the order hitter with Jason Kendall and Mark Kotsay around, but is a safe bet for 50 RBI, 10 HRs and 65+ runs scored.
After missing the entire 2004 season, Ellis was his old self early on, featuring just one homer, 14 RBI, and a .694 OPS before the All-Star break. Afterwards, he hit .344 with 12 HR to demolish even the rosiest of expectations. He excelled as the A's leadoff man, hitting .386 and reaching base at a .453 clip in 114 AB, but he's unlikely to match his 2005 levels, in both power and average, given his track record.
Ellis missed the entire season after injuring his shoulder in spring training and should be healthy by the time February rolls around. He'll compete with Keith Ginter for playing time at second base this spring, but will need to improve his 2003 numbers (.684 OPS in 553 AB) if he wants to have much value in leagues that use categories other than the traditional counting stats.
Ellis was part of the A's run-scoring problems, as the plate discipline he showed as a rookie evaporated. A .313 OBP won't cut it in a Billy Beane offense. Look for a major playing time hit if Esteban German finally shows up, or if the A's retain Miguel Tejada, forcing Bobby Crosby over to second base.
Probably over his head if asked to play on an everyday basis, and would make the ideal utility player. Watch the A's moves in the offseason, as Ellis could end up being everything from a 500 at-bat regular at second base to a 250 at-bat utility player off the bench.
More Fantasy News
Mark Ellis: (Oblique) Activated From 15-Day DL
2BSt. Louis Cardinals  
September 1, 2014
Ellis (oblique) was activated from the 15-day DL on Monday.
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2BSt. Louis Cardinals  
Oblique
August 19, 2014
Ellis was placed on the 15-day DL on Tuesday with a left oblique strain.
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2BSt. Louis Cardinals  
General Soreness
August 18, 2014
Ellis was unavailable Monday due to "soreness," MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reports.
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2BSt. Louis Cardinals  
July 4, 2014
Ellis is not in the lineup Friday against the Marlins.
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2BSt. Louis Cardinals  
July 1, 2014
Ellis is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Giants.
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