Sources: Yankees, Ellsbury Reach Deal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The Yankees and star free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury have reached a seven-year deal, sources tell WFAN/CBSSports.com baseball insider Jon Heyman.
The team has not confirmed the deal. The contract is worth $153 million, Heyman reported.
Ellsbury, 30, has spent the past seven seasons with the Red Sox. In 2011, he was named an All-Star and the American League's Comeback Player of the Year after missing most of the previous season with a rib injury.
Playing last season for the world champion Red Sox, Ellsbury batted .298 with nine home runs and a major-league-leading 52 stolen bases.
The signing would appear to cast more doubt about whether Robinson Cano will remain in pinstripes. The Yankees and the free agent second baseman remain far apart in talks, with Cano reportedly asking for $252 million over nine years while the team is offering $170 million to $175 million for seven years.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners have emerged as serious contenders for Cano's services.
Ellsbury is the second major free-agent addition in the Yankees' offseason rebuilding after missing the playoffs for just the second time in 19 years. Earlier Tuesday, the Bombers finalized an $85 million, five-year contract with All-Star catcher Brian McCann.
The Yankees also had been negotiating with outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, who like Ellsbury is represented by agent Scott Boras.
There is a long history of stars moving from Beantown to the Big Apple during their careers. Babe Ruth was the most famous, and Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs and Johnny Damon followed.
The move would raise the Yankees' luxury tax payroll to about $138 million for 10 players. The Yankees hope to get under the $189 million tax threshold next season, which includes about $177 million for salaries for the 40-man roster and approximately $12 million for benefits.
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