The Mets have claimed outfielder Duke Ellis off waivers from the White Sox and optioned him to Double-A Binghamton, with Tim Healey of Newsday among those to relay the news on X. The Sox designated him for assignment earlier this week. The Mets have had a 40-man vacancy since catcher Tomás Nido was designated for assignment last week and won’t need to make a corresponding move.
Ellis, 26, was just selected to the White Sox roster earlier this month, largely on account of his speed. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he has stolen 117 bases in the minor leagues while getting caught just 16 times. While with the big league club, the Sox put him into eight games but mostly as a pinch runner as he only stepped to the plate four times, though he stole four bags in four tries.
His work at the plate has been less impressive, as he’s hit .241/.328/.333 throughout his minor league career for a wRC+ of 88. His 10% walk rate is solid but he has also been punched out at a 25.7% rate. He has just 13 home runs in 961 plate appearances.
For the Mets, it’s an understandable claim. They had an open roster spot to use and Ellis clearly has game-changing baserunning abilities. Since he has a full slate of options, they can give him regular plate appearances in the minors but could perhaps consider bringing him up at some point as a pinch running specialist. Rosters expand in September and clubs often use the extra space for a player like this to improve the chances of scoring in a tight game, particularly in this age with the free runner in extra innings.
Name reminded me of 1 time Buc’s pitcher Doc Ellis, who after he thru his no-no, began referring to himself as doc “no hit” ellis. not proud of his feat was he?
many today probably never heard of Doc, but imagine Pirates fans might be familiar. had a good, tho kind of bizare career.. including his no hitter when revelations came out.
@johnsilver Ellis abused drugs while on the field. Should be banned for life from baseball
Lmao
He didn’t abuse them, he thoroughly enjoyed them.
Umm, he’s not in the HOF and he’s already banned for life from life so …
LFGMets: There’s no point in banning him since he died in 2008.
And what’s it to you anyway?
LFG whatever you can do to make a negative comment huh?
So based on this comment you think half of current baseball players should be banned from baseball?
The very first thing I thought of was Doc Ellis lol
I wouldn’t say “might” pirates fans. True ones know that name. He had a really good career
johnsilver: It’s DOCK Ellis. Respect the player by verifying the name spelling on Baseball Reference if you’re not sure. It takes 10 seconds or less.
And most fans have heard of him, if only because of the story of his no-hitter in San Diego while tripping on LSD.
Whenever I post something from “memory lane” of decades gone by baseball wise? it’s from what remember, not rehashed/looked up and in this case? spelling as remembered his name from 40+ years ago..
Don’t play that game dude.. remembered a good story about a decent player, whose name was close to the article and wrote it like can recall, 50y ago.
i’ll leave it to others to play the have to look everything up rubbish.
I didn’t look up any of that, for your information “dude.” I remember watching him pitch for the Pirates live at Shea Stadium in 1972, and for the Yankees live in the Bronx in 1976.
I also remember watching Nolan Ryan pitch FOR the Mets at Shea Stadium AGAINST Houston in 1968, a game in which he faced Astros first baseman Rusty Staub.
Believe me, you’re accusing the wrong guy of needing to look anything up or playing whatever game you’re talking about.
But you should learn to look up the player’s name spelling out of respect for the player and his career.
And props to you for the bangup job of opening your mouth and inserting your foot.
Played for the Mets too…
Was the Duke of Earl not available?
Don’t you mean the DOCK of Earl?
Hey man, cool name
Not sure why I read it this way, but I got “Mets claim Duke Ellington”. Showing my age I guess.
The White Sox bring him up for 2 weeks for seemingly no reason and then release him so they can hang on to their AAA catcher.
Chris Getz really seems inept.
Funny – I was thinking the same thing. He will probably never be a strong major leaguer, but he is exceptionally fast and a great base stealer. Find 1/8th of a hit tool and he’s helpful. He was fine in AA and not ready for the big leagues yet, just leave him in the minors… why bring him up to pinch run then lose him? That’s a move that screams “I didn’t really understand the implications of bringing him up.”
Lighten up, guys…. He’s not even hitting at the AA level an he’s 26, two years older than average for AA. Thats not fine, and its not a future major leaguer. Thats roster filler. That is what he is, and that is how he was used. Sometimes players are called up >> because << they are expendable. These kinds of moves happen a lot, especially on weak teams. Its not as if you lost something valuable.
If they dropped him from the roster to bring in some guy that’s clearly an improvement I’d say fine.
They dropped him because they were going to lose their AAA catcher, who might even be their 4th or 5th MLB option, if they didn’t add him to the 40 man.
I’d rather see what Ellis could do than retain the services of a journeyman catcher.
Completely meaningless because there is nothing to see. . He’s 26 and still cannot hit DOUBLE-A pitching. To suggest that there’s any difference between him and that journeyman catcher is pointless. They’re both irrelevant. The difference between zero and zero is zero.
He’s only got 200 AB’s at the AA level and he’s been an average hitter there with plus speed. Yeah he’s not an elite prospect but he has enough tools to be a useful bench guy someday, hence the Mets claiming him.
What’s puzzling is there was no point to even add him to the MLB roster in the first place.
It just feels like a series of moves that didn’t need to happen by a GM who so far has made a lot of moves that seemingly make zero sense in his first half a year in the position.
We all know who is responsible for this mess. The chairman sees him everyday when he looks in the mirror.
Better get ready there Pilgrim, the Duke is headed to New York
Dude has Essix Snead vibes to me. Snead was the fastest player I think I’ve ever seen in person. He stole 507 bags in 650 attempts over 9 minor league seasons. Had a career high 109 steals for Potomac in the high A Carolina League in 2000.
His problem was he couldn’t steal 1B. Career .231/.324/.297 hitter in the minors. Stole four bases in 17 MLB games for the Mets in 2002. Finally retired after the 2006 season.
Not unlike Billy Hamilton who still managed to get on major league rosters.
Getting ready for the Sox inevitable sell off of what little they have left so they can kick the can further down the road and pray that these prospects are better than what they got for Sale during the first ‘rebuild’. Speaking of kicking the can, one has to hope ‘the Chairman’ does soon so a real owner can come in and build a contender.