Mark Ellis may renegotiate contract to remain in Oakland

Bob Geren removed Mark Ellis in the seventh inning yesterday so he could get a standing ovation from the Oakland crowd in the A’s final home game of the year, which suggests the manager doesn’t expect him back in 2011. Oakland has a $6 million option or $500,000 buyout on Ellis, who’s 33 years old and hitting his usual .281/.352/.363 in 117 games this season. That might be slightly more than he’s worth on the open market, but as a good defender with solid on-base skills Ellis would seemingly be an ideal one-year stopgap for teams hoping to contend in 2011. However, it sounds like Ellis would like to be back in Oakland for a 10th season even if the A’s choose the $500,000 buyout, with Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News reporting that “he expects to have discussions with management next week.”