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Yikes. The Yankees thought they were playing 3-D chess by stealing former AL Gold Glove recipient Jacoby Ellsbury before the 2014 season in a $153 million gamble that the New York tabloids are calling the ‘WORST $153M EVER SPENT.’
It was announced on Wednesday that the Yankees were officially releasing the 36-year-old center fielder smack dab in the middle of his seven-year contract.
The Yanks will eat the $26.1 million left on his contract ($21 million he was due next season and the $5 million buyout), one final reminder of the fiscal irresponsibility associated with the signing.
Ellsbury, who was fresh off his second World Series victory with the Red Sox before joining the Yankees, missed a mind-bending 452 games in his six seasons in the Bronx and hasn’t played since the 2017 ALCS. As Darren Rovell points out, the Yankees paid Ellsbury $294,230 for each of the 520 games he actually played during that span.
Ellsbury hit .264 with 39 homers, 198 RBIs and 102 stolen bases in 520 games over four seasons with the Yankees.
Suffice it to say, Yankees fans felt like Andy Dufresne escaping Shawshank when it was announced Jacoby was snipped from the 40-man roster.
Life comes at you fast…