The day after Robinson Cano was shown off in Seattle, the Yankees introduced Jacoby Ellsbury, a key piece of their plan to make up for his loss.
“Early in the discussions, they made it clear they really wanted me,” said Ellsbury, who signed a seven-year, $153 million deal with an option for an eighth season. “That’s when things moved really fast.”
And after winning two World Series titles with the Red Sox, Ellsbury will move to The Bronx and try to duplicate that success.
“The biggest thing I’ve always enjoyed is the expectation of winning,” said Ellsbury, who will wear No. 22 after wearing Derek Jeter’s No. 2 with the Red Sox. “We had that in Boston and we have that in New York.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi offered a rosy outlook on Ellsbury’s defection: “You’re no longer a thorn in our side. You’re a flower in our clubhouse.”
Ellsbury said the compression fracture in his right foot that bothered him in September and the postseason was healed and he’s confident he will remain healthy throughout the length of the contract despite having been hurt before.
“I play the game hard, I feel like the right way,” the 30-year-old outfielder said. “I give everything have.”