MLB Trade Rumors: Baltimore Orioles Interested in Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury
Trades within a division rarely happen in Major League Baseball (MLB), but that hasn't stopped the Baltimore Orioles from eyeing one of their rival's players.
According to FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman, the Orioles are reportedly interested in acquiring center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, but only if the New York Yankees are willing to pay more than half of his $22 million salary for next season.
Of course, there are several obstacles that may prevent the Orioles and Yankees from completing a deal.
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Aside from the fact that they are division rivals, Heyman said the Yankees have suggested that they will only pay half of Ellsbury's salary for the 2018 season so both sides will have to reach an agreement first.
It should be noted that Ellsbury has a no-trade clause as well and he will only approve trades to a limited number of clubs. However, he may reconsider once he gets desperate. Right now, he still thinks he has a solid shot at winning a starting job with the Yankees.
Still, the Orioles' interest in Ellsbury just doesn't make much sense because he's a shell of his former self.
"Whatever value Ellsbury would add to the club — which would be marginal at best — would be more than offset by giving the New York front office more money to play with under its self-imposed payroll ceiling. There's simply no good reason to do that as a division rival, especially when the player coming back the other way is so middling. If the Orioles aren't competitors, what do they need an expensive veteran for in the first place? Baltimore isn't a dumping ground for contracts New York has decided it no longer wants," Jonathan Bernhardt said in his column for FanRag Sports.
Ellsbury posted a 0.264/0.348/0.402 slash line in 112 games with the Yankees last season, and he also recorded had seven home runs, 39 runs batted in, 22 stolen bases and 20 doubles in 409 plate appearances.
