Padres lose a familiar voice to Andy Green’s long-awaited Mets reunion

The Padres have another name to replace. This one won’t appear on a free-agent ranking. A.J. Ellis is heading to the Mets as their major-league strategy coordinator, joining Andy Green’s coaching staff and ending a long run in San Diego’s baseball operations department. It’s a quieter offseason departure with a reasonable explanation.

According to Kevin Acee, Green and Ellis are best friends who had long hoped to work together. Now they get that opportunity in New York, while San Diego loses someone it has kept around through several versions of the organization.

A.J. Ellis leaves the Padres with experience worth replacing

Ellis joined the Padres’ baseball operations staff in 2019. His connection to the club began a year earlier, when he caught for San Diego during his final major-league season. The Padres then found a place for him to stay in the organization after his playing career ended.

The Padres had seen his work as a player and decided his baseball career should continue with them. During that final season he played, MLB.com documented his relationship with Austin Hedges, who regularly sought out the veteran catcher. Ellis had experience a younger player wanted to use.

“Special assistant” is one of those titles that can make fans wonder what the job involves — or whether somebody just found an office for a buddy. That skepticism is understandable when the responsibilities aren’t obvious. With Ellis, though, we can see the value an experienced former catcher can bring. He has prepared for major-league hitters, worked with pitchers and lived the daily demands of the job. That’s valuable experience.

We obviously don’t know every conversation Ellis had to account for what they’re losing. They kept him around for years. They should know where he made a difference and have a plan to replace that work. 

A good move for Ellis still comes at the Padres’ expense

Green now gets to bring a close friend onto his staff as he settles into the permanent Mets job. New York gave him a three-year contract in September.

It’s probably nice for a manager to have someone nearby whose judgment you trust. Green already has enough pressure in the chair without having to learn every colleague’s communication style on the fly. These two know each other well and their friendship gives this hire a personal explanation that doesn’t require us to wonder why he’d leave San Diego.

And for Ellis, a major-league coaching opportunity with his best friend is compelling enough to take the next step.

The Padres may simply spread Ellis’ responsibilities among the special assistants and advisers already in the organization. We don’t really know whether they’ll look for a replacement. What matters is whether his work gets covered and the people who relied on him know where to turn.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow