Mark Ellis could have hit the open market after the World Series, but instead, the second baseman became one of the few players the A's have not allowed to get away as free agents.
Ellis signed a two-year deal worth $11 million, and the A's have an option for a third season. With incentives, the total package could be worth nearly $20 million, and Ellis also has a limited no-trade clause. The 31-year-old had arthroscopic shoulder surgery last month and he had been concerned that the procedure might affect his value in free agency.
All the other prominent A's players of the past decade have left as free agents (Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Barry Zito, Jason Isringhausen, Johnny Damon) or have been traded before free agency (Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Dan Haren, Nick Swisher, Rich Harden, Joe Blanton, among others).
Along with the shoulder injury, which shortened his season by more than a month, Ellis had a poor season at the plate, batting .233 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs. He is a front-runner for the Gold Glove award at second, however, despite missing time.
"I know it wasn't a very good year for anyone in the organization, myself included," Ellis said. "But I'm very proud to be a part of this organization, and I'm excited about things here."
