Mark Ellis has agreed to a one year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. Ellis, 36, his last two years with the Dodgers, and had a WAR of 5.5 over those last two years as the Dodgers primary second base option. After hitting .270 last year, the Dodgers declined Ellis's 2014 option, allowing Ellis to sign with the Cardinals. In going to the Cardinals, Ellis is agreeing to settle into a backup role, as the Cardinals' newly called up prospect Kolten Wong figures to get the majority of the starts at second. Ellis most likely picked a backup/utility role because he wanted to play for a contender. He could have found a starting job somewhere else most likely as the best 2B on the market but eventually settled on the Cardinals. With this move the Cardinals improve an already strong bench, and having a strong veteran presence on the bench will only help the Cards' chances of a deep playoff run. I like the move for both sides.