SAN DIEGO -- The Padres have hired longtime catcher A.J. Ellis as a special assistant to the club's baseball operations staff, bringing an end to a steady 11-year career for Ellis.
The 37-year-old backstop spent the bulk of that time with the Dodgers, where he developed a reputation for his positive influence on pitchers and his excellent on-base skills. He finished with a .239/.340/.352 career slash line and 44 homers.
Ellis is perhaps best known for his role as the preferred batterymate of Clayton Kershaw. In nine seasons together in Los Angeles, Ellis caught 829 of Kershaw's innings, more than double Yasmani Grandal, who ranks next on the list.