There's just a 40% chance the A's make Mark Ellis available, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The A's, who already traded infielder Eric Patterson, will choose between Ellis' $6MM option for 2011 and a $500K buyout if he's still in Oakland at the end of the season.
Ellis would probably draw interest if GM Billy Beane made him available. The 33-year-old is hitting .288/.355/.374 this year, and has been an average defender at second base over the course of the past two seasons (according to UZR/150).
The Red Sox and Phillies have injured second basemen and could have interest in Ellis, who missed time with a hamstring injury early in the year. The Yankees are looking for bench help, but Ellis has $2.75MM remaining on this year's contract and that's a lot of money to spend on a reserve.
Beane’s going to want to much for him, he’s the Scott Boras of GM’s
Average defender? No he is above average and may have the best range. If a team offers the A’s a top prospect he will be gone but not if it is for a spare part since the A’s have nobody ready in the minors to take over.
“average defender” my @$$. Ellis has been snubbed on a gold glove. Has he even made an error yet this season? But yeah, Ellis isn’t going anywhere unless they get a quality infielder in return because the A’s don’t have any MLB ready middle infield prospects. Rosales could take over the every day second base job, but then the A’s would lose the versatility they have by planting him at second every day
The only problem keeping Ellis is his injury history. But A’s vlaue his defense, leadership by example approach, solid production. But is that worth 5.5 million in 2011? A’s could put adam rosales at 2b or have an open competition with minor leaguers cardenas, sogard, tolleson, wimberly, etc next spring. Jemile Weeks who would be the frontrunner for future 2b is missing a good chunk of this season with another hip injury.
At the beginning of the season, I figured Ellis would be gone by July 31st… now I don’t think so. I thought Adrian Cardenas (acquired in the Joe Blanton deal) would get his shot to take over but after missing time with injury himself earlier this year,Cardenas is just getting underway at Midland (AA).
I’d like to see Ellis finish his career in Oakland. It would be nice to see.
Average defender? What is this guy smoking? Ellis is as good as you can get defensively.
I wish we’d quit postulating that the BoSox are in the market for a second baseman. Pedey will be back in 3 more weeks. We have Bill Hall, who is performing excellently both at the plate and in the field, and Eric Patterson, who hit two HR’s and a wall-ball double last night. We are not looking for infielders. We are all set at the moment, with the possible exception of bullpen help. Why would we pursue a starting-quality 2B like Ellis when he’d have to be relegated to a bench role or released in 3 weeks?
Where do they get the gall calling Ellis an average defender? If it wasn’t a popularity contest, he would have AT LEAST one gold glove by now.