Here's my Top 5 thoughts on Jacoby Ellsbury signing with the Yankees.
1. In the big scheme of things this is not a Yankees vs Red Sox thing - this is a Scott Boras vs Jay Z thing. And make no mistake - this was a big FU from Boras to Jay Z. Now that Ellsbury got the big contract out of the Yankees there is less money for Robinson Cano who now will have to go with someone like Seattle if he wants top, top dollar. Or he will have to take a lesser deal from the Yankees.
2. As soon as Ellsbury signed with Scott Boras every informed Red Sox fan knew he was gone. That's the way it works and I don't blame Ellsbury at all. This idea that he should be booed when he returns to Fenway is ridiculous. I wish Ellsbury nothing but the best. Boston won two World Series during his time here and Ellsbury was a big part of those titles.
3. Ellsbury won a Gold Glove with the Red Sox but many scouts say that his logical replacement - Jackie Bradly Jr. - is actually already a better defender.
4. The Red Sox drafted Ellsbury with the supplemental draft pick they got from losing Orlando Cabrera to free agency. When Johnny Damon signed with the Yankees - Boston drafted Daniel Bard with the supplemental pick. If the Red Sox can get something in between Bard and Ellsbury with the pick they'll get for losing Ellsbury then Boston fans should be happy. By the way - Jackie Bradley Jr. was drafted with the pick Boston got for losing Adrian Beltre. This, in part, is why Boston has a deep farm system and the Yankees do not.
5. As much as Ellsbury is making with the Yankees - he has the potential to make as much if he gets some type of Jockey or Calvin Klein deals. Ellsbury (and his ass) was the favorite of almost every girl in Boston. I predict it won't be long before you see 30 foot tall billboards of his backside at Times Square.
It's two years too many.
ReplyDeleteSure teams hate to see big name players leave, but you have to resist urge to buy the bad years after the good years. Consider St Louis. Of course, the Cardinals would have loved to see Pujols spend his entire career on their team like Musial. However, they dodged a bullet in resisting the urge to match/beat Angels offer. Yankees can enjoy the back end of that contract.
ReplyDeleteTC - I'm curious who the Yankees were bidding against? Was there a team out there who had a 6-year deal on the table? I doubt it. Boras played the Yankees (once again).
ReplyDeleteBill - the Yankees are the place bad contracts go to die (Ichiro, Wells, A-Rod, etc). What are the odds that Pujols ends up in pinstripes the last years of his deal?