Scott Boras told John Tomase of the Boston Herald that he doesn’t expect to discuss a new contract for Jacoby Ellsbury during the season, but the agent says he’s confident in his ability to work with the Red Sox, who control Ellsbury’s services through 2013.
Ellsbury is earning $2.4MM in his first season as an arbitration eligible player and he’ll also be arbitration eligible in 2012 and 2013. If and when Ellsbury hits free agency, Boras expects strong interest in his client.
“The market at the end of 2013 is going to be much different than the market of 2010,” he said. “It’s going to be widely more aggressive. The reason is there are just fewer players who can do what he’s doing.”
Ellsbury has a .316/.377/.490 line with a career-high 11 homers and a league-leading 28 stolen bases this year. The 27-year-old was limited to 18 games in 2010, when he had three stints on the disabled list with fractured ribs. Though the Red Sox may consider an extension for Ellsbury, there’s a definite possibility that one or both sides will prefer to go year to year instead of working out a long-term agreement.
