MLB Trade Rumors: Should the New York Yankees Still Move Jacoby Ellsbury Even if They Receive Nothing of Significance in Return?
Ellsbury not expected to have a starting role with the Yankees should he remain on the team
The New York Yankees currently have a bit of a roster-related problem on their hands involving Jacoby Ellsbury.
After acquiring Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins earlier this offseason, the Yankees now have more starting-caliber outfielders than they do available spots in the outfield.
The aforementioned Stanton, Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner are expected to rotate through the corner outfield spots, while Aaron Hicks is expected to be the player who will man centerfield.
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That leaves Ellsbury without an outfield spot to occupy, and he does not exactly profile well as a designated hitter. He could very well end up as an expensive fourth outfielder for the Yankees if they are unable to trade him, and that is not ideal for either the team or the player.
Because of that, there are rumblings that the Yankees are trying to trade him. Even so, that is easier said than done thanks to Ellsbury's contract, which aside from being expensive, also contains a no-trade clause.
There may be some good news for the Yankees, however, as Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports recently reported that Ellsbury may be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a few select teams, including the San Francisco Giants.
That does not really solve the Yankees' problem completely, though.
Even if Ellsbury agreed to be traded, it is highly unlikely that the Giants will give up a lot in exchange for him.
If the Yankees trade Ellsbury to the Giants, there is a chance that they receive neither a significant amount of additional payroll flexibility nor any good prospects. The Yankees may have to essentially trade Ellsbury for nothing of significance, and that is hard to do since - as Paul Swydan noted in an article for Fangraphs - the stats suggest that the 34-year-old can still be a league-average or even above-average player when he is completely healthy.
Ellsbury is no longer the star-level player he was during his days with the Boston Red Sox, but he is still a capable Major League outfielder.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, if they really want to clear up their logjam in the outfield, they may have no other choice than to trade away a still-solid Major Leaguer for little in return.
It is not an ideal outcome for the Yankees, but it beats having playing time questions plague the team's outfielders throughout the coming season.
More news about the latest MLB trade rumors should be made available soon.
