Rumor grade: Yankees and Diamondbacks discussing Jacoby Ellsbury

The Yankees have made multiple moves this offseason to get them prepared for 2018, but they aren’t done yet. They are still looking for starting pitchers, and to dump some more salary, which is where this rumor comes into play.

The rumor

According to Joel Sherman, the Yankees and Diamondbacks are discussing multiple players. One of those players is Jacoby Ellsbury, who could serve as the Yankees’ fifth outfield in 2018 now that they are talent-rich in that area.

Why it makes sense for the Diamondbacks

They need outfielders, for one. A.J. Pollock, Yasmany Tomas, and David Peralta are their current trio, and an upgrade there wouldn’t be the worst idea. Those three players are perfectly average outfielders, so that is one area that the Diamondbacks should have an eye out on as far as a switch goes.

But do they want an outfielder due as much money as Ellsbury is? Probably not. There are already rumors that they don’t want to get into a full-on Boras Bidding War for J.D. Martinez, so it doesn’t make sense that they would pay nearly $70 million for Ellsbury. He’s still due $63 million on his seven-year, $153-million contract he signed in 2013, plus a $5 million buyout in 2021.

He has a full no-trade clause — although he does have ties to Arizona — and is 34 years old. A 34-year-old outfielder who hasn’t had a batting average higher than .271 since 2013 (his last year with the Red Sox) and whose OPS+ hasn’t been over 100 since his first year in Yankee Stadium back in 2014 doesn’t scream “high-priced acquisition for a team that is reassessing their roster.”

Could a change of scenery be the trick for Ellsbury? A slim chance that ends up being the case, sure, but paying that much over three years to test that theory isn’t advisable. If the Yankees cut that salary commitment in half though ...

Why it makes sense for the Yankees

Even if they retain half of Ellsbury’s salary to send him elsewhere, that’s still a huge chunk of their commitments over the next few years heading elsewhere. Taking $12 million or so off the books each year for the next three would help them keep under the luxury tax.

They also don’t need him — even as a fifth outfielder — as they have Clint Frazier as a backup as well (although he could also be on the chopping block). This only makes sense for New York if enough money can be taken off their books to make it worth it without them having to send another desired asset with Ellsbury as a sweetener for a deal.

They haven’t been free and loose with their above-average prospects so far this offseason (although ... that’s also because they’ve been trading with the Marlins and the Padres,) and that’s not going to change in an Ellsbury deal.

Rumor grade

D. It’s not a great fit for the Diamondbacks, and if they did agree to take on even half of Ellsbury’s salary then they’d actually have to use him, which doesn’t make their outfield measurably better than what it is now. This is more of a case of Ellsbury’s name coming up in talks about other players than anything else, and if it happens, I’ll be surprised. The Diamondbacks would be better off looking elsewhere for a step up, and the Yankees can look for another taker for all that money.