Last night all the teams in Major League Baseball had to finalize their 40-Man rosters, and the Yankees made their decisions. Among those moves, we’re the outright release of Jacoby Ellsbury and the Designation of Greg Bird. So the Ledger weighs in on those decisions.
Eliminating Ellsbury
In one of the most anticipated and requested actions by Yankee fans, the oft-injured, Jacoby Ellsbury, was finally released. Jacoby Ellsbury NEVER lived up to the contract given by the Yankees. During his Yankee tenure, Jacoby spent more time in Florida rehabbing than in the Bronx playing. Yankee GM Brian Cashman has taken responsibility for the decision to sign Jacoby, in what was clearly a reactionary move to Robinson Cano’s decision to go West. And that would be a decision that would haunt the Yankees. And still, continue to hurt them as Ellsbury’s contract is still on the Yankee books.
Bye, Bye Birdie
Greg Bird has now flown the coop. The first basemen seemed like the heir apparent to succeed Mark Teixeira in the Bronx. The brief cameo in 2015 sparked fantasies in New York of a sweet-swinging lefty with pull power to a short right-field porch. That vision is now gone, it’s done, and it’s no more. Bird, much like Ellsbury, was injured continuously and, therefore, unreliable. That injury history made way for Luke Voit and more recently lefty-swinging Mike Ford to receive opportunities. And both men would take advantage of those chances.
Greg Bird can easily sign with another team and prove himself, healthy and productive. If Bird can separate himself from the stigma of his current injury-prone nature, He has an opportunity to sign on with another club. And with no real pressure or burden of expectation, Greg can just play baseball.
