The Yankees were prepared to invest close to $300 million to upgrade center and right field until Shin-Soo Choo rejected their seven-year offer for $140 million.
According to a Yahoo! Sports report, the Yankees offered Choo that deal after fellow outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury agreed to a seven-year contract worth $153 million to leave Boston for The Bronx.
Yankee officials were mum Wednesday when asked about the Choo offer, and Scott Boras — who represents Ellsbury and Choo — didn’t return a call.
According to Yahoo!, after Robinson Cano bolted for Seattle and a 10-year deal worth $240 million, the Yankees went after Choo. But $20 million a year for seven seasons wasn’t enough, and Choo was looking to match Ellsbury’s contract.
At that point the Yankees agreed to increase their offer to Carlos Beltran from two to three years and the parties agreed to a three-year deal for $45 million. Beltran is expected to be introduced Friday at a Yankee Stadium press conference.
The Yankees’ offer to Choo is a strong indication they had — and maintain — plans to deal Ichiro Suzuki, who is signed through the 2014 season.
Suzuki is owed $6.5 million next year and the Yankees would likely have to swallow most of that to move a player who, with Beltran set to play right field, doesn’t figure in their plans.