The Rockies have acquired second baseman Mark Ellis from Oakland for minor league right hand pitcher Bruce Billings and a player to be named later or cash considerations. Ellis has batted .217/.253/.290 this season but is an excellent defender and is a career .265/.331/.397 hitter who should benefit moving out of Oakland. The 34 year old Ellis has spent his entire career with Oakland, having his best seasons in 2005 and 2007, but hit .291/.358/.391 as recently as 2010. The Rockies revolving door at second base this season has seen Rockies hitters at the position batting a paltry .236/.291/.319, giving Ellis a very good shot of surpassing them with a typical Coors Field boost in production. Ellis is perhaps more known for his defensive wizardry, however, with a glove that has been worth about a win per full season over a replacement player according to both UZR and total zone.
Billings, who made his major league debut in 2011, has excelled since being moved to relief during the 2010 season, and with a solid slider and change-up should make an effective MLB middle reliever.