Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury’s $153MM deal could turn out to be one of the worst in the history of the Yankees franchise, ESPN’s Andrew Marchand writes. At the time the deal was signed, it looked like the team’s best chance to get value was for Ellsbury to be very productive at the front end of the deal, but that hasn’t really proven to be the case. He produced a solid .271/.328/.419 season in 2014, but last year he hit just .257/.318/.345 while dealing with knee issues, with his isolated power dropping from .148 to .088. He’s off to a 4-for-18 start this season. Here’s more from the East divisions.
- Red Sox legend David Ortiz thinks Edwin Encarnacion should replace him as the Sox’ DH after he retires, WEEI’s Rob Bradford writes. “Hell, yeah. He’s a perfect replacement,” Ortiz says. “Because of everything, but mostly because he can hit.” Encarnacion says he still wants to play first base as well as DH, but he’s already talked to Ortiz about the possibility of playing DH full-time in the future (although not for the Red Sox specifically). Encarnacion batted .277/.372/.557 last season in Toronto. It now appears extension talks with the Blue Jays are dead. He’s set to become a free agent after the season.
- Mets manager Terry Collins says that he will utilize a full-blown left field platoon of Michael Conforto and Juan Lagares, Marc Carig of Newsday reports (Twitter links). “We’re in a situation where we’re trying to win games,” said Collins. “This is not a time to develop players.” The Mets skipper added that it wasn’t just a matter of getting Lagares in for his glove, noting that he likes his bat against lefties.
- Blue Jays lefty Franklin Morales says he felt “weakness” in his shoulder upon completing his first warm-up pitch yesterday, Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling tweets. Also via Zwelling (on Twitter), Jays manager John Gibbons says today that Morales’ situation isn’t serious and that Morales simply couldn’t loosen up last night. The Jays had planned to use Morales in the sixth inning yesterday, but he didn’t end up pitching. The Jays signed Morales to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal last week after the Brewers released him.
Man this bullpen is quickly falling apart. Leon was god awful in his only game. Biagini was good last night but you can’t rely on a rule 5er to much. Storen and Cecil both have struggled a bit. Floyds been alright. The only two guys who have been good are morales and osuna and I don’t like the news on morales. Hopefully they can figure it out because really, this team should be 5-0 right now, not 3-2.
Or 2-3.
Ya I guess aha
Hooray for bullpen woes… Let’s hope these guys start figuring it out, I know it’s still early though…
And gibbons is the manager, not farrell
2-3 actually
Not sure what John Farrell knows about health conditions of players from teams other than his own…
I believe you mean John Gibbons
It’s a little early to call elsbury’s deal a total bust, but it was clearly unwise, and a huge overpay
I understand that athletes are friends and like family but that whole Ortiz/Encarnacion situation seems like tampering. I know it says they did not speak specifically about the Boston DH job, but come on, you know they did.
Perhaps Big Papi doesn’t like Hanley?
Players are allowed to do that. They don’t make personnel decisions. They’re allowed to “tamper”.
Jays manager John Farrell huh?