Why Yankees Jacoby Ellsbury isn’t just trade bait

Most baseball fans do not look at Jacoby Ellsbury with appreciation, nor approval. Most Yankees fans only see trade value in Jacoby Ellsbury, especially with the addition of the reigning NL MVP, Giancarlo Stanton.

But neither of these reactions are correct responses to Ellsbury’s recent Yankees season and subsequent career. Not only did he steal 70 bases in one season (343 for his career), but also finished the 2011 season with a second-place MVP medal.

Yes, I understand he didn’t win, but realize what that runner-up position means. He was the second-best player in MLB, the league considered to be of the highest performance in the world. A world containing 7 billion people. Even with there being two MVP winners each year in MLB; worst case scenario, Ellsbury was the fourth best player in the entire world.

As for his most recent season, 2017 was not too recognizable. Although Ellsbury did not end the season too poorly, batting .264, he amassed a measly seven home runs and only 22 stolen bases in 409 plate appearances — his lowest since 2012 when he was “placed on the disabled list…because of a partially dislocated right shoulder.”

But, considering he was not a starter for the Yankees last season, Ellsbury did not have all that bad of a year. He was never really a power hitter, only accumulating double-digit home run numbers twice in his career.

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And Ellsbury came in 20th in MLB in stolen bases with 22. His production was not all that poor, far from the worst in baseball. However, by his own previously exceptional seasons, yes, Ellsbury is past his prime.

I am not saying Ellsbury is worth the $21 million the Yankees are paying him annually. Don’t get me wrong, Ellsbury is hugely overpaid. When the Yankees signed a 30-year-old to a seven-year contract worth $169 million, baseball fans alike did not understand why a team would want to pay a player into their late 30s the same bulky salary he was earning seven years earlier.

Perhaps the reasoning for such a move could include the typical spending habits of the Yankees, or frustration presenting itself after a disappointing playoff run the previous season.

Either way, the signing of Ellsbury was impulsive, but a done deal and heading into its fifth season. Ellsbury’s lower production and higher salary do not mean he is useless to a team.

Throughout his career, Ells has hit substantially better against harder thrown pitches (fastball, sinkers, cut-fastball) including whiffing just 4.35 and 6.23 percent of the time against four-seam fastballs and sinkers, respectively.

To top that all off, Ellsbury is considered a reasonably respectable fielder, with above par speed, resulting in five runs saved due to his range and ability to convert a batted ball to an out — and Ellsbury even complied 1.6 wins above replacement this past season.

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Jacoby Ellsbury is not a bad player. He is just not worth $21 million a year. Ellsbury’s annual salary is the 27th highest in the MLB but is far from the 27th best player. Even in his limited amount of games last season, Ellsbury still hit above the league batting average; proving that he can still be of value to a team.