Mariners Claim Duke Ellis From Mets
The Mariners announced that they have claimed outfielder Duke Ellis off waivers from the Mets and sent him to Triple-A Tacoma. The latter club had designated him for assignment recently. The Mariners already had a vacancy on their 40-man, which is now full.
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Ellis, 26, had never appeared on a 40-man roster until a month ago but has now been on three of them in that time. The White Sox selected him on June 4 and he has since bounced to the Mets and now Mariners via waiver claims.
The interest is largely due to his wheels. In his 968 minor league plate appearances, he has a batting line of .241/.329/.333, which translates to an 88 wRC+. However, he stole 117 bases in 134 tries during that time. While he was briefly in the big leagues with the White Sox, he swiped four bags in four tries.
Such players can often carve out roles on contending clubs, particularly with expanded rosters in September. A key pinch running opportunity late in a game can often be the difference between a win and a loss. That’s especially true in the age of the free runner in extra innings.
The Mariners had an open roster spot, so there’s little harm in them grabbing Ellis for now. He can take some at-bats in Tacoma, though perhaps they will try to pass him through waivers at some point down the line or call him up to take advantage of his speed.
