Decision 2009系列第二集 http://tinyurl.com/6xzw7f Decision 2009: Mark Ellis By Melissa Lockard | August 21st, 2008 It certainly isn’t anything new for the Oakland A’s to be faced with the decision about whether or not to re-sign a long-time member of the team. This off-season, second baseman Mark Ellis will be the A’s most difficult free agent decision. Along with erstwhile third baseman Eric Chavez, Ellis is the A’s last link to their division winning teams of the early 2000s. He first made his debut with Oakland in 2002 and helped the A’s win 20 games in a row and their division later that season. He appeared on three A’s division winning squads in 2002, 2003 and 2006. Over the years, he went from being a quiet complimentary player into a fan favorite. The things that are good about Mark Ellis are easy to name. He is one of the top defensive second basemen in the game, both in terms of range and in terms of his consistency in making the plays he should make. At the plate, he brings decent power for a second baseman and the ability to grind out at-bats. In his career, he has averaged nearly four pitches per plate appearance, a strong total. He is a smart baserunner and can handle the bat well. There are a few downsides to Ellis’game, however. As consistently strong as his defense has been, Ellis’offense has been that inconsistent over the years. Almost like clockwork, Ellis has struggled at the plate in every other season, while doing fairly well in the seasons in-between. Last year, Ellis established career highs in homers and RBIs, but this season, he has seen his average drop 40 points and his OPS sit around 700. Based on pattern, Ellis' 2009 season should be a good one at the plate.However, if the A’s are going to re-sign the veteran, they will have to offer him a contract significantly longer than just one year. Ellis turned 31 in June and has begun to show some signs of wear and tear, as he has struggled with soreness in his right shoulder - the shoulder he completely dislocated just before the start of the 2004 season. From a leadership perspective, it will be hard to replace Ellis in the A’s clubhouse. He is well respected and plays the game in a way that is an example for younger players. Given the A’s troubles this season, having a player who remembers how to win in a green and gold uniform might not be a bad thing to have around. However, playing the game the right way and playing great defense might not be big enough justifiable reasons for the A’s to hand out a three or four year contract. On a team that appears to have more holes than Sponge-Bob, Mark Ellis is hardly the A’s biggest problem. Yes, there are better offensive second baseman in the league, but on a good team, Ellis is the perfect type of complimentary player that helps teams win championships. However, the A’s don’t appear to be in any kind of position to be thinking about a championship, at least not for the next year or maybe two. If the $5-8 million that the A’s would need to spend to keep Ellis can be spent on getting a player who can actually OPS above 800, then that is probably where the A’s funds should be directed next season. By the time the A’s are ready to challenge for a title, Ellis will be 33 or 34, and possibly in the downside of his career. In a lot of ways, the decision on Ellis is similar to the decision the A’s had to make about Mike Bordick after the 1996 season. Bordick was an outstanding fielding shortstop who had been a long-time member of the A’s and was one of the team’s last links to better times. However, the A’s in 1997 were going to be very bad and a veteran complimentary player like Bordick didn’t really fit in the overall direction of the team, despite his great glove and intangibles. Bordick, who wore the same number 14 as Ellis does today, went on to play in the playoffs with the Orioles in 1997 and with the Mets in 2000. The A’s turned to a youngster named Miguel Tejada, who would man the shortstop position for the next seven years. The A’s don’t appear to have a Miguel Tejada-type superstar waiting in the wings to take Ellis’ place next season, although Adrian Cardenas (acquired in the Joe Blanton trade) is doing very well as a 20-year-old in Double-A and could be a possibility towards the end of next season. However, it is clear that the A’s current configuration of players isn’t working. While Ellis has done a lot over the years for the A’s, he - like Bordick - deserves to play on a team that will be able to utilize his skills for a championship run. And the A’s need to play some of their young players at second to see if they can find a star to help them move away from the doldrums that they are in right now. --

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