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Source: Trade involving Jacoby Ellsbury not imminent 12.04.12 at 9:40 pm ET
By Alex Speier

Jacoby Ellsbury

The Red Sox have increased roster flexibility to make a potential trade involving Jacoby Ellsbury, with Shane Victorino now a potential center field option and other outfielders (Nick Swisher, Cody Ross, Josh Hamilton, etc.) still available via free agency. However, a major league source said that no trade involving Ellsbury is imminent. Indeed, the source suggested that a deal involving Ellsbury this offseason isn’t inevitable.

At this point, the trade market for Ellsbury (and, more broadly, for outfielders) has yet to take shape in a fashion that would address the Sox’ major league needs, chiefly, big league quality starting pitching. The only trade to date involving a stating outfielder was the Twins sending Denard Span to the Nats for a high-ceiling Single-A right-hander in Alex Meyer.

The Sox would still be selling low on Ellsbury if they were to trade him now, coming off a season when he missed considerable time due to injury and performed poorly when on the field. He’s also now entering his final year before free agency (in contrast to Span, who was under team control on a very appealing multiyear deal).

Still, a team that fails to land a top offseason target could become interested in Ellsbury, perhaps to the point of offering a sufficient return to convince the Sox to deal him. However, while the team has increased flexibility to deal Ellsbury, that’s far from a guarantee that it will do so. Boston may still get its greatest value from Ellsbury by retaining him and hoping for a year more like 2011 than 2012.

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  • Steve Mancuso

    We’ll give you Bronson Arroyo back for him. :-)

  • Jookiemd

    How does this offer any thoughts on his trade market…false advertisement

  • Ohara

    Trade him and sign Hamilton!!!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Palozej/100003149722784 David Palozej

    Stanton is available for FOUR YEARS…give Miami the 3 Quality Prospects…none will turn out as good as Stanton…Trade Jacoby for a Pitcher!!

    CF S    Victorino
    2B RH  Pedroia
    RF LH  Hamilton
    LF RH  Stanton
    DH LH  Ortiz
    1B RH  Napoli
    3B RH  Middlebrooks
    C S    Salty/Ross
    SS RH  Iglesis/Ciriaco

  • El_menor-15

    hell yeah i like this 

  • El_menor-15

    red sox should Trade jake bradley jr , xander bogaerts for Stanton then trade Jacoby Ellsbury then sign josh Hamilton

  • askj

    Hell, trade him for a pitching prospect, as long they’re fairly close to the bigs.

  • askj

    Hell, trade him for a pitching prospect, as long they’re fairly close to the bigs.

  • Justin Wouters

    I’m not sold on the idea that retaining him to the trade deadline would somehow increase his value way beyond what it is now. Best case scenario is he plays out of his mind for 4 months and becomes a hot commodity…….and still, even then, I don’t see getting anything more than a few good prospects back for him……which is exactly what they can get for him now. 

    No team out there, at the deadline, will give us a top of the rotation type starter for a two month rental. If he gets hurt again or plays mediocrely, never mind poorly, then were stuck with him and wont even get a draft pick when he leaves because it might be too risky to give a qualifying offer.If I could trade him now for a young middle of the rotation starter with some upside, I’d do it and wouldn’t look back. Then I’d send either Lester or Buchholz to KC for Meyers and sign several solid starters to round out the rotation. I really like the thought of a future outfield of Bogaerts, Bradley, and Meyers.

  • Salmon Rusty

    Ells is a DIVA  move him asap. He sits for 2 months every time he gets a boo boo. Take whatever you can get Ben.

  • Elaine_Apthorp

    I’m not solid on the midseason trade idea either, Justin, in that whoever dealt for Jacoby in midseason would be getting that 2-month rental with no compensation to look forward to when the player signs with another club next winter. Paradoxically, despite coming off his worst year in the bg leagues statistically, from a trading standpoint our Ells may be worth more now–when he represents both a full season of probable excellence and a high compensatory draft pick if his new ball club can’t meet the $cott Boros free agency terms any better than Boston can when next winter rolls around.

    Then again, in the best-case scenarion whereby Jake comes out raking at his glorious 2011 pace, who knows how crazy the market could get among contenders in urgent need of one more speedy bat? I dunno. There’s much to be said for simply enjoying what  Jacoby can contribute to the 2013 Sox, and then enjoying the draft pick that comes our way when Mr. Boros reels in a big fish contract for Ells in free agency. But I still find it suggestive that Ben went for a center fielder to play right field; yes, it’s a good move in any case to have a guy with CF range patrolling Fenway’s huge RF, but the deal has the scent of Getting One’s Ducks In A Row for potential trades. Something or nothing may come of it, but Mr. Cherrington has done no violence to his farm system yet: he’s worked himself into a comfortable position from which to explore trades for a decent starting pitcher, as among potentially tradable assets he’s now got a very high-upside centerfielder and promising, credible surplus behind the plate.

  • http://www.facebook.com/abha.khadar Abha Khabar

    If you think Johnny`s story is unbelievable,, a month
    ago my uncle basically got paid $4000 workin fifteen hours a week at
    home and there classmate’s mother`s neighbour done this for seven months
    and got more than $4000 in there spare time on their computer. the
    steps at this address… snap11.comp

  • Patman1776

    Sio’s mom works for me, and I’ve met him a number of times. Well grounded kid, with a GREAT motor. Would LOVE to have him on the Pats…….22 year season ticket holder

  • Dano S

    Patriot Predictions 87.0 1 Trade for 2nd and 3rd round pick. 2 Manti Te’o LB
    Notre Dame (brings a unique spirit to a defense) 2 John Jenkins NT Georgia
    3 Stedman Bailey WR West Virginia 3 Travis Frederick G/C Wisconsin
    7 Earl Watford G James Madison 7 Kayvon Webster CB South Florida.

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