New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is a thoughtful executive, whether many agree with him or not. By nature, the executive attempts to gather analytics as one of the main managerial components that help him lead. Yet, mostly to unfortunate results, the Mets struggled to justify not only a $300 million payroll but also his $10 million salary. Entering his fourth season in Queens, Stearns may need to bring in more than those who rely on advanced statistics.
To accomplish this goal, he may have just done that. According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, Stearns hired a former major leaguer to help with a vital part of the process.
"The New York Mets are hiring A.J. Ellis to their major-league coaching staff as a major-league strategy coordinator," league sources told The Athletic on Wednesday. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move is not yet official. Ellis, a former major-league catcher, previously worked as a special assistant in the San Diego Padres front office. Ellis spent 11 years in the major leagues, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Under manager Andy Green, the Mets are still looking to fill one more coaching position after promoting Mariano Duncan from their minor-league staff.
No, this is not a dramatic move, but everything doesn't need to be dramatic or earthshaking. Ellis will bring a wealth of on-field knowledge.
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For 11 seasons, Ellis played for teams (Dodgers, Phillies , Marlins, and Padres), catching 620 games. He understands not only the relationship between pitchers and catchers but also the actual culture of an MLB club that stats cannot measure. Ellis played 17 postseason games, posting a .365 average with a .450 on-base average in 61 plate appearances. Yet another aspect of his game becomes readily important.
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As mentioned, Ellis excelled as a catcher while not reaching anything close to superstar levels. Yet, behind the ball, from a defensive standpoint, the Mets need his help. Granted, Luis Torrens performs as an above-average catcher , throwing out 38.6% of opposing baserunners, which assists pitchers. Plus, his .997 fielding percentage borders on elite.
However, the starting catcher, Francisco Alvarez, struggles in that regard. Ten passed balls suggest an inflexibility and lack of movement that would normally stop balls from sliding away. From a catch-and-throw angle, Alvarez threw out 26.8% of baserunners. That becomes a major problem because when healthy, he serves as the team's everyday catcher.
Ellis threw out 32.9% of runners. That includes 45% in 2015, when I was 34. At that point in a catcher's career, the aches and pains that come with age continue to increase. The stat speaks to a dedication to the craft. If the Mets want Alvarez to keep his job, he needs to play better defense.
Further, Ellis' timely hitting tips will keep him firmly entrenched as the No. 1. If not, Torrens or even a young prospect like Chris Suero can learn from Ellis' experience and his ability to convey his knowledge. In the smallest way, the Mets improved.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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