OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics secured some stability in the middle of their infield, agreeing Monday on a two-year contract with Mark Ellis that guarantees the second baseman about $11 million.

The A's also have a club option in the deal that could keep Ellis around through the 2011 season. The 31-year-old Ellis, who is coming off right shoulder surgery last month to repair chips in the cartilage as well as a torn labrum, could have become a free agent after the World Series.

He had asked the A's to postpone any further negotiations on a new contract until the season was over. Both general manager Billy Beane and assistant GM David Forst were optimistic of working something out in a timely manner once the process with Ellis' representatives got moving.

Ellis has spent his first seven years in the big leagues with Oakland, including 2004, when he was sidelined with an injury to the same shoulder.

"We're really happy to have Mark back," Forst said. "He was honest all season long that he wanted to be back in Oakland after this year. That made it an easy conversation. Mark was an important part of a lot of playoff teams here and has been an important part of all we've done the last seven or eight years."

Ellis batted .233 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs in 117 games for the A's in 2008, a rebuilding year for the young club in which Oakland finished 75-86 and with one fewer win than a year ago. He stole 14 bases and committed only four errors. His last game of the year was Aug. 30 as a pinch hitter against the Minnesota Twins.

He hurt the shoulder Aug. 21 at Seattle sliding into second base to break up a double play. Ellis started the following day but came out of the game in the second inning with shoulder pain.

The A's don't plan to rush him back. The same goes for six-time Gold Glove third baseman Eric Chavez, also recovering from surgery. Chavez needed another shoulder operation after having both shoulders surgically repaired last year along with his back. Both players are rehabilitating in the Phoenix area.

"We'd love to be optimistic about Eric," Forst said. "Certainly having him and Mark in place at the start of the season would be great. We're looking forward to having Mark the next three years, not necessarily opening day. As we've learned with Eric, we want to make sure he's OK for the long haul."