Utilityman Ty Kelly has agreed to a deal with the Dodgers, he announced on Twitter. With the lockout barring MLB transactions, it’s obviously a minor league contract for the 33-year-old.
Kelly has appeared in parts of three big league seasons, suiting up with the Mets and Phillies between 2016-18. He bookended that run with the Mets but actually tallied more playing time during his intervening stint in Philadelphia, where he suited up in 69 of his 116 games. Overall, the right-handed hitter has tallied 188 MLB plate appearances and owns a .203/.288/.323 line with a trio of home runs.
Obviously, Kelly’s offensive track record at the big league level is limited. He did log action at most positions around the diamond in that limited time, though, picking up some time everywhere other than shortstop or catcher. Kelly has some time at shortstop in the minors but has spent the bulk of his time on the farm at second and third base.
Kelly spent the 2019 season with the Angels’ top affiliate. He announced his retirement that August and sat out the 2020 campaign, but the UC-Davis product made a comeback effort last year. After starting with the independent Long Island Ducks, he caught on with the Mariners on a minor league deal. Kelly played only 24 games in the Seattle organization before being released, but he’ll now get another crack in the Dodgers’ system. He’s a .267/.367/.380 hitter over nine seasons at the minors’ top level, and he’ll add an experienced, versatile depth option to the organization.
Leads the league in names ending in Y