The Yankees have released outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and designated first baseman Greg Bird for assignment as part of a series of roster moves. The club has also designated left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. and added seven players – outfielder Estevan Florial and right-handers Deivi Garcia, Luis Gil, Brooks Kriske, Luis Medina, Nick Nelson and Miguel Yajure – to its 40-man roster. Ken Davidoff and George A. King III of the New York Post first reported the Yankees were considering releasing Ellsbury.
This brings to an end a hugely disappointing New York tenure for Ellsbury, a former star with archrival Boston who parlayed his success with the Red Sox into a seven-year, $153MM deal with the Yankees after 2013. Ellsbury was merely a decent to good contributor for the Yankees from 2014-17, and a series of injuries prevented him from taking the field at all over the previous two seasons.
The Yankees currently have a need in center field with Aaron Hicks on the mend from Tommy John surgery and Brett Gardner a free agent, so the fact that they’ve moved on from Ellsbury and eaten the remaining $26MM-plus on his contract speaks to how far his stock has fallen. Now, if the 36-year-old is going to continue his career, he’ll likely have to settle for a minor league pact with another organization.
Injuries have also been ruinous for the 27-year-old Bird, whom the Yankees once regarded as their first baseman of the future. Bird was tremendous during a 178-plate appearance debut in 2015, when the left-hander’s swing looked tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, but that’s the only regular-season excellence he has shown to this point. Bird missed all of 2016 after undergoing shoulder surgery and then hit a meager .194/.287/.388 in 522 trips to the plate from 2017-19. Thanks in part to foot problems, he totaled just 41 PA at the MLB level this season. At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another team trade for or claim Bird, who still has three minor league options left.
Cortes, 24, is also in the DFA pile with Bird. The southpaw, a two-time member of the Yankees organization and also a former Oriole, saw extensive MLB action with New York in 2019. While Cortes limped to a 5.67 ERA/5.57 FIP in that 66 2/3-inning span, he did amass 9.32 strikeouts per nine against 3.78 walks. Cortes also had a solid year at the Triple-A level, where he posted a 3.86 ERA/3.40 FIP with 9.53 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 39 2/3 frames. He has a pair of minor league options remaining.
Ellsbury: Long overdue. Horrible deal. Absolutely horrible deal. Totally predictable. Cashman’s worst.
Bird: It’s time. Too bad because the dude had some promise at one point.
The end of an era
end of an error*
I agree
Bingo
LOL. Imagine the Sox trade JBJ and Ellsbury returns to patrol CF for them with the Yankees paying the freight. He’s likely done but it would make for some good talk radio in both cities…
Lol you win the internet today. Feel free to have a beer
Yeah but it would be better if he went to the Astros so he’d know which pitch would be the best to slam his bat into the Cather to.
legend comment
You have my upvote, king.
Dont count it out, remember the Grady Sizemore experiment?
I was always amazed that Jordan Montgomery made it back from Tommy John surgery faster than Ellsbury made it back from assorted leg and back injuries that never required surgery.
This is the worst deal Cashman ever signed by far.
In fairness, Montgomery had about 10 years on Ellsbury. It’s a lot harder to recover from injury at 33 than at 23. If you are over 33, you already know. If you are younger, you’ll know a lot sooner than you expect.
Maybe Montgomery had incentive as a young player with earning potential playing his childhood sport. In the case of Ellsbury, he had his contract and was simply collecting.
you mean end of an error
Ellsbury deal wasn’t as bad as it looks, insurance paid 15 million a year, only cost the Yanks 5.
Insurance itself isn’t free, and this is bad analysis.
Yeah good point. What’s the policy cost?
Well the insurance is paid for either way. Making the claim isn’t costing them more
Still goes against luxury tax purposes, which limits the team.
Heh yeah reflect he got you there.
Correct and paying off only makes future contracts more expensive. If you spend, there will always be a risk.
This is incorrect and assumption. Making a claim against a policy as large as his surely ought be will cause reverberating costs in disputes, pre-litigation, litigation (if it gets there), and post litigation fees.
A claim against insurance for the dollars at present is almost always met by the carrier with a denial of coverage and protracted pre-litigation attorney fees.
Correcting myself – assumptive. Not assumption.
This costs many dollars not seen by the likes of us all.
As if the Yankees aren’t paying retainers already…
This isn’t Joe Schmo filing an insurance claim. MLB insurance claims automatically kick in when a player misses X amount of games due to injury. There’s no litigation or lawyers involved.
It was great for Hal because he would have been pressured to invest that 15 mil if it wasn’t already counted against the tax.
It limited the team on the field but was great for profits.
It’s met with claim fees for investigation and includes paying professionals to review medical records. The larger the claim, the bigger the expense budget. That said, they likely have “claims adjusters” who are attorneys and/or nurses trained already. That said depending on how 2019 was handled, the team probably already has an agreement in place for a minimum percentage recovery. Too much money for even the Yankees to simply eat or risk.
Says someone who doesn’t work in this field and I do.
It’s not about a joe schmoo claim fool. It’s about the policy language and the claim value.
You’re wrong sir.
Insurance helps alleviate the pain on the Steinbrenner boys, but that $20m stain on the payroll hurts the team in a lot of other ways.
Still counted towards the CBT limit so…. Who cares how many ivory backscratchers Hal can still afford?
@slider32
If someone get’s into a car wreck and the car is totaled whether or not their insurance covers it has nothing to do with the severity of the crash. Cashman and whoever may have wanted Ellsbury made a huge misjudgment. I thought it was a bad sign as soon as it was done. His game was built on speed, his power was inconsistent and he had a history of nagging injuries. Glad they moved on finally.
I get what you’re saying but it is bad in the sense somebody has/had to pay him $153mm. Also bad in the sense he wasn’t likely to live up to that contract regardless of health. Was viewed as a big overpay when he signed it.
Do the yankees lose the insurance this year to gain roster spot?
Agreed.
A’s & Rays are sending Bird a contract as we read this.
A’s have a solid first baseman, which is hard for me to say cause I hate that organization!
Imagine replacing your gold glove first baseman who else OPS’d almost .900 for Greg Bird.
Almost as weird a thought as taking Russell back when our shortstop was just in the top 3 of MVP voting.
nearly, not else*
They don’t need a DH, either, even though Davis was very disappointing.
I just hope they learned their lesson with Ellsbury. This is where I do worry about Stanton.
Only a very rich team like the Yankess could eat a huge black hole contract like Ellsbury’s and still make the playoffs every year.
Giambis deal was bad. Player could hit but obviously on roids and couldn’t come back from injury. Rodriguez 2nd deal was equally awful. Couldn’t hit after the roids wore off and benched in the post season. Released on the final year. No wonder there aren’t too many huge contracts anymore.
Stop the presses! Cashman is admitting he made a couple of mistakes! WOW!
Greg Bird should sign with Texas
I’m thinking …. Orioles or Jays or Cardinals.
Red Sox? Has low risk high reward potential. Looks like a Bloom move…
Need a 1B on the cheap.
Does look like a Bloom move but how much of his power even if healthy become outs in Fenway?
Greg Bird can’t stay on the field and isn’t very good when he DOES get on the field. The Red Sox don’t need him. They can do better.
Sox could get Dom Smith and one other (possibly Nimmo, Matz, or JD Davis) for JBJ.
Sox don’t need JD Davis who had a surprisingly good bat in 2019 but whose value is still limited. I also can’t see the Mets parting with both Smith and Matz for one year of JBJ. That trade I would do as your getting your replacements for Price and Moreland. If the team decides to keep Mookie and can get a team to take on Price without cash, it could work. I love JBJ’s glove but I think his value is maybe Matz one for one.
Dom Smith has more value than JBJ let alone “throwing in” Nimmo/Matz/Davis. The sox will likely give him away for a lower level prospect to get rid of the salary of a defense only player. You don’t trade a quality 3/4 starter for an ok outfielder that is a bench player for another team.
I suspect the Mets will be far better off getting much needed bullpen help or including Smith in a package for Marte, as the Pirates are looking to deal Bell and a younger, cost effective Smith is a good piece in that deal, where it would make more sense to include a Davis or a Nimmo – still not Matz.
Sometimes things go right over people’s heads, dynamite. Or through them.
Right on, SFT.
Orioles have their 1B of the next few years with C. Davis
Twins could use him
Pass..
Naw, Atkins will sign lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. though. He loves Yankee trash like a Drury, McKinney, Valera and Dull. And just gave Cashman Happ and Urshela. Cortes’ 5.67 ERA/5.57 FIP in 66 2/3 innings and 9.32 Ks/9 against 3.78 walks are just his speed. And the AAA stats (3.86 ERA/3.40 FIP with 9.53 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 39 2/3 frames) are right up Atkins’ alley. But he won’t DFA any of his “guys” Law, Pannone and Merryweather to free up a 40-man roster spot, so my guess is an invite to spring training.
Cardinals have a guy they’ll probably give a look, Paul Goldschmidt
He cant play defense. he’s a DH
Why would the Cardinals need a first baseman? Even if something happened to Goldschmidt, they still have guys like Carpenter or Edman to back him up.
Rockies. Colorado kid. Be interesting to see him behind arrenado if he finally put it together
My initial thought but they really don’t need another left handed bat. Besides, for better or for worse, they won’t be giving up on Guzman anytime soon
It wouldn’t hurt.
How about Bird with the Rockies after a Daniel Murphy trade somewhere? Won’t ever happen because that would require the front office to do SOMETHING positive for the team. and they usually only use October to March for negative additions.
@hiflew
I like Bird but no team should be trading away a guy like Murphy to make room for him on the roster. Bird needs to start of in AAA and shake the rust off and prove he can stay healthy past May.
Wow, honestly surprised. Definitely a much needed move for the team to get rid of Ellsbury, but I’m surprised they decided to just eat the rest of the contract. Feel for Bird. Hopefully he can stay healthy and produce for a team at some point. He had potential.
What other choice did they have?
Attach a couple of high end prospects and trade him to a team like White Sox, Royals, Mariners, or Dbacks, and let the release him. Therefore freeing up an extra 21 million so the Yanks could put it into getting Cole or Strasburg.
You don’t give up good prospects when you’re trying to win. You pay the salary and forget it.
@yankeetbv1
I and every Yankee fan should scream at the top of our lungs if the Yanks, who do have a bunch of interesting prospects in AA and below, used those prospects to save money on Ellsbury. The one mighty resource they have is $$$$ and if they were to do that then Hal would be as cheap as some here suggest.
Can you imagine if they had done that two years ago and gave up a Severino or Judge type of prospect? How much does a team save in salary by having cost controlled 5+ WAR players. That would be a horrible move.
That is EXACTLY when you give up good prospects. You collect prospects when you are rebuilding and use them as currency when you want to win.
+hiflew
but the point is they dont need to use them like currency when they already have a lot of a different type of currency ($$$). at that point its simply sabotaging your future success, guaranteeing a low period like the one that they just got out of in 2017, just to save money (which they dont need to do). If this was a team like the Royals i’d understand that they dont have the money to rely on for everything but this is the Yankees we are talking about.
No insurance for Ellsbury’s last year or buyout.
I mean… no one would take him… in any kind of a trade
I remember last off-season Yankees fans said Ellsbury was going to be traded today Arizona.
@Bernie’s Dander
“Some” Yankee fans “suggested”. <—-mentally handicapped posters.
if a team was offered Judge for a mid tier prospect BUT they had to take Ells and his contract i dont think anyone would say no. A trade like that would never happen, of course, but to say no one would take him in any kind of trade is wrong.
Signs with Boston on minor league deal and wins MVP next year.
I’ll be willing to bet 1000 it doesn’t happen
Odds are in your favor but it would be quite the story.
Quite the story? War and Peace is a story… this would be a miracle of the ages.
I think I’d bet everything I had
Hate to say it but PEDS probably explains his sudden power and then lack of power and injuries.
Go ahead and cite your source on that.
You my friend should write for mlbtraderumors
Bird to the Birds
How about Ellsbury for Samardzija
A little late for that considering they released him…
I know…
I was hoping for a trade with the Padres for Hector Olivera.
Ellsbury for Kris Bryant and a minor leaguer? Who says no?
The minor leaguer.
Everyone. why the hell would the cubs that. Throw in stanton and cash 90% of it and the minor leaguer has to be the Yankees #1 and #2 prospect
Its a joke m8
No one wants Jeff Samardzija. The giants regret that deal 4 months in. They paid him 80mil too much.
I’m so happy I will do the dance of joy, bye bye Jacoby
Yes, Yes,Yes. Finally the Yankees mistake that wad Jacoby Ellsbury is gone.
I’ll say. He maybe the last of the stolen Redsox players that opted for big bucks from the Evil Empire n leave Boston’s option on the table.
stolen?
I think the Sox are the Evil Empire. They spent the most money EVAH to field a team in 2018 to buy the WS.
No Mo, the Redsox are the Golden State Warriors per Cashman, lol!
No pashak2k, the Evil Empire. Let’s give credit where credit’s due.
I think Mo you disagreeing with Cashman! The Redsox have a sky high payroll, Mo, but….they won the WS with home grown with adding JD only. So GS Warriors!! Ha ha!
Mo, you’re looking at one championship, one year and recently the last couple. Go back since free agency started and add up who spent more in current dollars or simply go back to 2009 when the Yankees spent nearly $500m to sign three players to “buy” that year’s WS ring. Teams in glass stadiums shouldn’t throw stones.
He’s not saying the Yankees don’t do it. He’s saying the Red Sox don’t get to cry about it ever again and now look like major hypocrites for doing it so long.
You mean they didn’t add Price, Sale and Kimbrel as well?
Curious. Adjusted for inflation which team/year holds that distinction?
Might be 2018 sox – for now. Or, using that same adjustment, maybe they hold the honor a long time.
What matters is that it was true in 2018, when they bought the WS. Largest payrolll….wait for it…by $30MM!!!
Interestingly, they had the largest payroll last year, too, but came in third.
They have a horrific payroll from mistakes, n opt performers like Panda who fleeced them. I know the Evil Empire fans are frustrated, I truly thought your team would go all the way, n thought Cashman was a magician in every move he made was amazing.
It’s the 2015 Dodgers with the highest ever payroll.
Oh and the Red Sox outspending the Giants by $30 million (240 to 210) is nothing. The 2009 Yankees had a 200 million payroll when the 2nd highest was the Mets at $135 million. Meaning, the Yankees payroll was 50% more than the 2nd highest team. Mets were closer to 20th than 1st. THAT was a purchased World Series.
Having the highest payroll doesn’t guarantee anything. Otherwise the Yankees would have 14 Titles this Century instead of one.
Dombrowski >>> Cashman
Agreed. The team stunk up the joint this past season. Got little value for the good will the WS brought them. A bad start in 2020 and NESN ratings will tank. That’s why they will try to get under the threshold but but it’s not an absolute mandate.
Cashman has more rings than Dombrowski. Count on your fingers, You will get to the right answer eventually
Cashman’s only real title was in 2009 when he outspent everyone by a huge margin. His other titles were courtesy of Stick Michael. Everyone knows that.
Virtually the whole team was home grown or obtained by trading home grown players. So not bought, but developed. Best team of the 2000’s.
That doesn’t matter. They spent the most by far to field that team–outspending the next team by $30MM. They BOUGHT that WS.
It does matter.
So if a team has a payroll that is $30M more than anyone else’s…. they have officially bought the World Series championship??
Every team that wins buys the work series. Nobody is out there playing for free
youngTank15
“It does matter”
Only if you can’t stand the idea of ADMITTING that you paid the most and therefore BOUGHT the WS. The rest is splitting hairs just so you can DENY it.
There were like four or five teams that could afford the team the Red Sox fielded. The Sox BOUGHT there way past them all. And the five that could, presumably, have afforded it (the Yanks, Dodgers, Cubs…) DIDN’T spend nearly that much. They were out-SPENT. By the Sox. The Sox BOUGHT it.
The EVIL EMPIRE…
BWAHAHAHA!
Yes Why, they won with mostly all hone grown in every position. It was their yr.
Lol Red Sox fans. So if the Yankees offer Mookie the best contract (they won’t, but if they did…) he wouldn’t be able to throw on those pinstripes fast enough. I’m willing to bet the majority of the Red Sox team would be willing to go to NYY and vice versa if it meant the most $$$. Ellsbury is far from the last.
Sweet! Now we won’t have to read any more ridiculous trade proposals that send Bird to another team for their top player.
I hope you’re not talking about future HOFer Greg Bird…….
Yes, that is who he is talking about.
Yankees could offer Bird and Ellsbury to the Cubs for Bryant, Baez, Contreras and Rizzo… I think that would be a steal for the Cubs…
( Could not resist! )
Cubs would have to send cash
I suspect Strike Four would actually not catch this sarcasm and suggest it’s a steal of a deal.
Cubs would need Refsnyder
Ha ha
It’s ok Clint Frazier can replace Bird as the Yankees hugely valuable trade piece until he gets released.
This is really going to hurt the depth of their IL team
I laughed harder than I should have at that.
They had plenty of depth there last year. Bird and Elsbury were more AAAA IL players at this point anyway.
Ha
Nice. Who is going to be their veteran presence for the IL team field trips to the golf course? Aaron Hicks gets my vote for Captain.
Finally!!!!!!
i cant honestly think of any player i cared less to see leave the red sox, when he was a FA and the Yankees signed him my reaction was this – eh’ over hyped average and never did ANYTHING awsome or out of the norm, decent outfielder and average or slightly above line drive hitter, hurt all the time. While i know 1 injury wasn’t his fault as Adrian beltre broke his ribs, he just seemed to never change the game when he played, he was a good base stealer i admit he could run when he tried, Never the less, probably the worst deal the Yankees ever made, i was surprised at cashman, he normally doesnt over value anyone that badly.
He was a great leadoff guy for the Sox… that’s for sure. But agree, the Yanks paid so much to get him because of WHO they were taking him from, more than WHAT they thought he could do for them.
Ellsbury was awesome in 2011. 8 WAR, gold glove CF’er and finished 2nd in the MVP voting.
Amanda you are right, Ellsbury did nothing. It was a move designed to weaken the GSWarriors(per Cashman). Ellsbury hit better than JBJ, but not the fielder. He wasn’t missed.
Yeah, remember how Sox leaders like Youkilis and Varitek called him out in 2010 for always being injured when Ellsbury only played 18 games with rib injuries?
Cashman didn’t do his homework. Ellsbury’s MVP-caliber season in 2011 was probably driven by PEDs, and his interaction in the Sox clubhouse was limited mostly to his friend Jed Lowrie; he contributed little to the clubhouse culture.
Pavano?
$26 million just like that!
Yanks got that back and more over the last few year in insurance money on him. His insurance money paid for them going over the cap too!
thanks!
No. That’s not how insurance policies work. Just wrong.
Sure, but that was to help pay for his salaries in those previous years. They’ll get nothing back from insurance to pay the $26M they’ll still have to pay him in 2020, yet they’ll still probably make the playoffs, anyway.
No, they didn’t come close to recouping what will be paid out in final year and buyout of 2021. Assuming the policy exists—no proof that it did—it pays 75% of the salary after the player is on IL for 60 consecutive days. So the Yankees received approx $15.8M for each of 2018 and 2019, or $31.7M.
Except, that ignores the premium on the policy, which would be somewhere between $2M and $3M per year; split the difference and call it $2.5M. 6 seasons of that premium cost the team $15M (they wouldn’t be paying for 2020 or 21), which offsets one whole season of reimbursement.
That leaves the Yankees at a net of $16M, far short of the $26M buyout to Ellsbury, much less compensating the team for going over cap.
Just registered specifically to say… yippee see ya Ellsbury
Also, good luck to Nestor Cortes Jr. and Bird, Bird will definitely find a job somewhere
Just to add more, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear he’s playing again somewhere.
It’s about time they got rid of Ellsbury and as for Bird, I’m not surprised because I said that he would not be back next year.
THANK YOU GOD!
Bye bye ‘Bury.
Watch. The Mets will sign Ellsbury. LOL!
League minimum if they do.
Will the Pirates take a chance on either…. hmmm
I’m guessing this had more to do with protecting players for the rule 5 draft because letting ellsbury ride the IL every year was probably a better financial move for the Yankees than releasing him since insurance probably picks up a portion of the bill. As for bird, he had no future with the Yankees which is unfortunate because they could use the left handed hitter, but he just can’t stay healthy.
I read on Pinstipes that Yanks got over 15 million a year insurance money for Ells, not that they need the money Forbes had them making over 600 million last year.
I got to think they couldn’t find a way to keep him on insurance for 2020 without an investigation. I frankly don’t know how they did it this year for a full year.
They generate a lot of money, but I’m not sure their profit is as large as everyone thinks. I doubt Hal will be sleeping on a park bench when he has to cover Ellsbury’s salary, but when you factor in player payrolls, travel expenses, facility costs, other staff payroll, and everything else that goes into running a team, I don’t think teams make as much as we all like to think.
This is likely entirely spot on. That insurance policy is likely written as such that no recovery can be made if he is not on the roster.
It’s perhaps why he’s not been released earlier. But this last year, let’s release and save 40 man spots for guys to avoid the Rule 5 draft. We can absorb the insurance pay out this final year.
Even when he is healthy (or reasonably so), Bird still can’t hit Major League pitching.
Hahahahahaha
Goodbye Ellsbury. One of the worst signings ever. Too much money for too many years. Too injury prone too.
The Yankees value that roster spot at 21M which they are still on the hook for.
Yanks got over 45 million the last 3 years in insurance money so they are in the plus 24 million going into this year. That’s why they let him go.
That’s not how it works. Those insurance payments went towards paying off his equally large salaries for 2018-19. They have to eat his entire 2020 salary in addition to the smaller checks they still had to give Ellsbury for doing absolutely nothing the past 2 years.
21M is still due to Ellsbury regardless, so i wouldnt go as far as to say they value the spot at 21M, unless youre assuming he would miss another year entirely and insurance would cover the bill
I’d think it’s less than that. Really all they lose is what insurance would’ve paid, so about 15m or so.
Is the player they protect worth the 15m? Maybe. There’s two ways to look at it.
1) the player protected is later traded, giving some value, plus, any FA or trade acquisition needs a slot anyways.
So if you look at it like that, you protect a trade chip for a while for free, and still have the slot afterwards for a new acquisition.
I see what you mean but my point was they have to cough up the money regardless if he is on the roster or not. Meaning, its not a choice about 21MM for prospect protection. Its simply turns into a choice between how much they value the prospect compared to Ellsbury, and the prospect won out. (That is, of course, assuming that terry was assuming that Ellsbury wouldve missed another entire full year and the Yankees somehow knew this in advance and turned down the insurance money. imo, the only way the Yankees say bye bye to the insurance money is if they knew Ellsbury would come back in some capacity, nulling their insurance claim)
I wonder: has Baltimore had enough to throw in the towel on Chris Davis?
Doubtful but they should.
Well, they still have to pay him either way, Meanwhile, it’s not like they have any major prospects who Davis is blocking, nor that playing even a marginally better player over him is going to improve their chances at making the playoffs.
Sad…but it was time. Maybe Byrd can get a fresh start and Ellsbury retires.
Is there a spot now open for Refsnyder?
ellsburys done, nobody can be hurt that much and still pretend he can play, pedroia is the same way, be happy with your wife, kids girlfriend etc and what you have achieved which was winning multiple world series and go out with dignity and in a few years see where you end up on the HOF ballod, not that i think either will get in, just dont keep trying to play, i just read that jacoby didnt play a game since 2017? thats amazingly sad, i thought he atleast tried in 2018
These are moves that needed to be done. I can see Bird latching on somewhere with a minor league deal if he can prove to be healthy. Too many options at 1B for the Yankees to value his 40 man spot over a hot prospect
If Bird can ever stay healthy, he’ll be a good player for whomever signs him on the cheap. Shame. Guy had an effortless swing when he was right.
WOW!
Luis Gil was also added. Missed in the post.
The Yankees paid the last $68.5 million of Ellsbury’s contract for zero at-bats.
Zero.
You’re ignoring insurance.
You’re ignoring how insurance works
You’re ignoring how much they actually received in insurance payments. How many times are you going to make the same incorrect comment before you realize you look like a fool?
If the underwriter didn’t charge an ample premium for the policy, the insurer got robbed. Everyone knew he was brittle and took forever to get back on the field. As an actuary, I would have advised against writing the policy.
I’m sure the premium was ample, but the Yankees wouldn’t have paid it if the policy didn’t also allow ample recovery. The bottom line is they did write the policy. Insurers insure real risks. If they didn’t they wouldn’t have any high dollar customers. And usually they don’t have the benefit of Monday morning quarterbacks like the ones on this thread
How many times? I work in this industry sir. It’s not incorrect.
I don’t need to explain how insurance works.
Everyone of these comments ignores the insured – not insurer – writes the policy and carved out what can and cannot be collected and why.
I would bet dollars to donuts that the policy included his being on the active 40 man for any recovery (among other endorsements). His being released I bet they get ZERO recovery this year. It’s eaten. The policy premium may have already been paid, it may not have been, but this years recovery I bet is non existent since he’s not on the roster and has been released.
You can not recover on a policy covering an asset you’ve since forfeited if the language of the policy says such.
Insurers are FAR smarter than baseball teams in crafting a policy that protects THEM.
You folks are dumb if you think insurance is in your interest. Insurance is in TBEIR (the insurer) interest and 99% of the time the insurer walks out on top.
Not surprised by Ellsbury. Kind of surprised by Bird. Bird will hook on somewhere.
Wow surprised they cut Ellsbury. And sad to see Bird go. He’s one guy I wish wouldve panned out. I hope he catches on somewhere and has a good career
Always thought that contract was a drastic and ridiculous overpay…..
Now we’ll see what Eppler thinks of his former farmhand Cortes. Billy loves velo and high strikeout guys, but does he think Cortes is worth a claim and a chance to somehow fix?
The live obsession that the yanks had with Bird is something I’ll truly never understand.
Go on YouTube and watch his 2015 highlights. Guy looked like a star in the making. That’s why they held out hope for so long.
He was the best player in baseball for Spring Training 2015. Great promise. But it’s time to give up on that dream. Maybe someone else will benefit.
Bird was a great promise but the spring training argument is silly you goose.
If ellsbury’s insurance policy was experience rated the yankees would be paying $15 million in premiums for $15 million in coverage.
The Yankees could have traded Ellsbury to the Mets. BVW is always on the lookout for “seasoned” talent.
As bad as the Ellsbury signing was at the outset, I don’t think anyone could have realistically predicted he would be first mediocre, followed by useless.
you just described his red sox career, he did NOTHING here, never once was he ‘the guy’ you depended on.
Except that one year he magically hit 32 HR and an OPS+ of 146.
He had an 8 WAR year heading into his prime just before free agency. That’s not nothing. Teams were chomping at the bit to sign this guy. His defensive metrics were among league best for years and he was a sparkplug leadoff hitter with wheels. You’re taking the Monday morning quarterback thing a bit too far
He was a game changer when he was on the field, but there were red lights going off every time he got injured.
I don’t disagree that the injuries represented risk, but the person I’m replying to claims he was a nothing which is absurd
I’d rather bird instead of Tellez @bluejays
Overlook the Greg Bird hype and focus on his overall numbers after 2015. Bird’s been awful and he can’t stay healthy. Plus Bird is a better hitter at Yankee Stadium. I’ll take my chances with Tellez if the choice is between him and Greg I.L. Bird.
Fly away Bird and please don’t ever come back to the Yankees
oh brother..
Bird feels like a Nats future signing if they bring back Zim.
this is progress, the yankees need no mercy on the Roster. pay up for gardy, let betances go, and coach up stanton and severino then with careful injury prevention based training, off to the pennant races.
They could still use Betances for the 8th.
I hope Stanton doesnt end up the same way, hurt ALL the time and so far has done nothing as a yankee, hes a amazing talent who honestly seemed more comfortable in Miami, i dont want his career to be another ‘ he was so talented but always hurt’
38 HR and an OPS+ of 130 in 2018 was hardly nothing. It may not have been 59 HRs but who honestly was expecting that? A bit off what I was expecting but not by THAT much.
Delusional Yankee fans were.
Bird has talent just can’t stay healthy. Cortes was useful last year, those numbers are alot worse than he pitched. Nothing more than a swing man but could be useful.
They’ll probably do what they always do with the 40 man crunch, dfa then trade these guys for some low level lottery ticket.
Seattle, marlins and d backs seem to always be pulling off trades like that with them
I certainly enjoy watching Yankee busts as much as the next guy, but holy cow that was a turd of a contract.
Kevin Brown is up there for bad Yankee deals but Ellsbury is #1, Pavano #2.
Pavano was not predictable. Ellsbury was.
Still a bad contract, though, considering they gave him a four year, $39.95 million deal, which wasn’t even the biggest he could’ve got, because Cincinnati, Boston and Detroit made bigger offers plus he was supposed to be the Yankees ace and that is no joke.
These moves were done so they could put Esteban Forio and Danny Garcia on the 40 man roster preventing them from being in the rule five draft. Do not be surprised if you see those two prospects getting traded this winter in a package for a front line starting pitcher if they lose out on Stroudsburg and Cole
As a yankee fan great news won’t miss them DD and Gardner next get those young guys from farm team and two top starters and you have a really good team .
$84 million and not get to bat…..nice pay out !…….time to leave New York State and move to Florida……No Income Tax !
You’re forgetting insurance.
You still pay for insurance…it’s not free…
Yankees accountants looking at ways to get that money back…..
raise ticket prices….,.raise food prices…..raise parking fees………..yes, lets do all three !
Long over due
Stantons contract will be worse, Yankees could easily sign Cole if it wasn’t for that horrible deal.
Pfffft. With 38HR’s and 130 OPS+ in 2018 Stanton already beat Ellsburys contract.
Nice try.
Stanton was out basically all of 2019 and was injured a lot in Miami, remember I told you his contract will be the worst ever.
Starling Marte to the Yanks
You going to propose a trade or are the Pirates just going to GIVE the Yankees Marte?
When the Pirates make me their general manager, sure, I’ll propose a trade.
Bird is going to the Rays and will hit 30 homers
Stranger things have happened. Dude had amazing promise. Who knows? Maybe his body holds up for a season.
Watch him go to the Astros and become a .300/30/100 hitter. I kid, I kid, but seriously, though.
Just wanted to go on record as having liked Bird more than Judge. I still can’t believe how wrong I was on that one.
Kei Igawa (remember?) was the Yankees’ worst contract, this easily tops that.
I can see the White Sox getting Ellsbury. They need a left handed OF bat for a year or two. Professional hitter, but lacks the power.
Kinda weird how it turned out that the Yankees had Cooper, Austin and Bird at one time. They gave Cooper to Jeter just because they didnt think he would be anything and yet he is the only one still getting regular at bats as a starter in the majors now
Bird not a surprise with so many rostered Yankees capable of playing 1B. He’ll draw some interest. But I am surprised they didn’t give Cortes Jr a shot with the new age pitching coach, high velocity lefties are nice to have around. I agree with earlier post he pitched better than his numbers. As for Jacoby – enjoy Japan. The mountain hot springs are great for what ails you!
Braves Trade Ender Inciarte, Touki Toussaint, Shane Greene, & Austin Riley for Miguel Andujar & Clint Frazier
A weight has been lifted. I feel a new day approaching for the Yankees organization. Releasing Ellsbury and DFAing Bird were both the kind of moves necessary to unmoor the organization from a sense of overbearing commitments to roster spots and players that are blocking so much more potential not just at an individual player talent level, but also at an organizational cohesiveness level and the chance to run out the best players they have, not the most expensive or longest tenured. I am the biggest advocate for holding teams together and for long term pacts that hopefully solidify cores. I’m also a huge fan of cutting dead weight and giving functional players the chance that they deserve.
This is a huge relief, as a fan. It was time. It was the right move. It allows the Yankees to amid some harsh truths and then allows them to then make significant, real course corrections and not just placating moves for albatrosses.
Ellsbury’s contract was essentially 4 year 153m (38m AAV) since he didn’t play out the last three years.
Carl Crawford or Jacoby Ellsbury, worse contract?
its about time neither one can stay on the field
When you are a big market you can get away with ugly deals like the Yankees and like what Boston did with Carl Crawford but a small market team will be hampered by an albatross of a contract like this. Had it been football Ellsbury would have played knowing that there is no guaranteed contract it is just the way baseball is shaped.
As for Bird sweet swing reminds of Olerud the only problem is that he shadowed Nick Jonson and became N.Johnson 2.0 I would not be surprised if Boston,Texas,Miami make a run for him he is still young but is as brittle as a papier-mache.
Cashman has had some good diamond in the rough findings but he has had his clunkers like all GM’s with excess money to spend he was blindsided by the shiny new toy into believing he was getting a maserati instead he got himself a pontiac aztek.
Hmm, Bird shadowed Johnson? What sport are we talking about?
NIck JOnhnson played for the Yankees was a first baseman. and a high prospect that was always injured ended up with nationals and he is Larry Bowa’s nephew.
Neither cut is a surprise. They had their shot and never made it. Only issue with Els is the the coin against the payroll/lux tax…
I have said it 100 times G Bird is not A MLB ready player and I don’t think he ever will.. Every year my mind was blown that they kept running this .150 hitter out there and they still had faith in him? This guy does not the the mentally for baseball period!
Ellsbury Nobody every talks about this guy. Don’t they say yo you going to play or retired? Like wtf was up with him?
Don’t make anoter mistake and sign Gardner go get a leadoff hitter that you are missing to play CF while Hicks is out. DONOT run Garbage out there for 2020 every day. Anoter 220 hitter we don’t need at 37.
The Yankees have become cheap and I’m at the point of this team I’ll believe it when I actually see it. I could give a rats bottom whos out there this team for years now is failing to bring in talent they just sign old men! With that said don’t sign Gardner because the 10 million you’ll shell out for him will be a complete waste of money when it could be used on SP because the Yankees becams cheap so save every buck Yankees
Whom do you prefer to roam CF with Hicks out that is not Gardner? Juan Lagares have Tauchman as the CF ? The Hicks signing was mind blowing in itself as he is an injury risk every year practically and was unnecessary to give him that many years and money along with the Stanton trade which is becoming an albatross as the days and years will go by.
Also for Starting Pitching Strasburg is injury prone himself so that would be a mistake their and Cole you will have to shell a lot of money and how will he pan out in NYC if he does sign with a different pitching coach that he learned from in Houston?
Only way they would get Cole would have been if they could have move Stanton’s contract and that is not happening due to no trade clause so do you pay $30 million to Cole and factor in the luxury tax implications they will have to backload his contract then and that will be a nightmare as he reaches age ,35,36,37
Too bad. Ellsbury was a tremendous talent. Too many injuries as he played with wreckless abandon.
Next stop for Greg Bird? Perhaps Miami?
As for Ellsbury, obvious they needed the roster space for the 40-man, but also for the guys making mad money on the DL that Giancarlo Stanton will now occupy for the next several years.
I think he needs to be in the AL. He’s too fragile to be in the field 5-6 times a week.
Awesome deal for Elisbury, keep up the good work Yankees!
I’m glad all this is over! Ellsbury needs to go to prison for extortion! Bird was never that promising after he hurt his ankle the first time.
Yankees have become cheap and boring to watch. Don’t believe any rumors or anything with this team until you actually see it. Now I’m not saying sign every single free agent but when you have the chance to sign top of the line starters for nothing but cash you do it.
Their top priority is to bring back a 37 year old outfielder who over-achieved in a juice ball season..and couldn’t hit for 20 years in the post season. They’ll bring him back and deal with his streaky days and weeks and once again he’ll bat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 all season long killing this teams groove.
Ellsbury wasn’t near the worst deal in baseball, he only cost them 5 million the past 3 years with the insurance money. Players that have big contracts and play poorly like Chris Davis are the worst, it’s a double wammy you pay the money and the player stinks on the field.
He was paid to play, not collect insurance money. Teams do not invest over a hundred million dollars in a player to hang out on the DL/IL. It’s up there as one of the worst contracts.