Another partial defense of Ellsbury.

"Ellsbury used to be younger, more athletic, more dynamic. That’s how he got paid $153 million over seven years in the first place. Plus, there was that whole Robinson Cano ordeal …

But the 33-year-old veteran is no longer that player — now the fifth-best outfielder in the organization behind Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner and Frazier. He just happens to make way more money than the other four players combined.

And that’s a problem for the Yankees, who would be best-served cutting Ellsbury loose when Hicks returns from his oblique injury in 2-to-3 weeks. Only it doesn’t work that way. Brian Cashman has said that when Hicks comes back, Frazier will likely be sent down because he has minor-league options."

Contract aside, I wouldn't state definitively that Ellsbury is worse than Hicks, Frazier, or even Gardner.

Gardner is a clubhouse leader and has more power (only in 2017). Their overall games are almost identical. Gardner hits a slump and Ellsbury gets hot for a couple of weeks and, next thing you know, the fans will be clamoring for Ellsbury to bat leadoff.

Frazier and Hicks? To move them ahead of Ellsbury on the depth chart requires a couple of leaps of faith. One player who has 60 major league at-bats and another player whose career batting average is .233.


Frazier is young and Hicks is sorta young. Since the Yankees know what Ellsbury is worth ... an average player ... it's probably worthwhile to use the 2017 season to gather more information on Frazier and Hicks. So that's a good reason to move them past Ellsbury (and maybe Gardner, while we're at it) on the depth chart.

But, with 56 games to go, I wouldn't be shocked if Frazier slumps badly and Hicks reverts to his pre-2017 form. Average Ellsbury might be an upgrade.