During his session with the media yesterday, Boston Red Sox
general manager Ben Cherington told reporters, including Tim Britton of the
Providence Journal, that it is not the team’s intent to trade center fielder
Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason.
Ben: trading Ellsbury "not our intent. We're expecting him to have a good year in 2013 and be a big part of what we're doing."
— Tim Britton (@TBritton_Projo) December 5, 2012
Cherington added that he expects Ellsbury to be a “big part”
of what the team does in 2013.
After the Red Sox signed Shane Victorino to a three-year,
$39 million contract earlier this week, speculation began that they could be
shopping Ellsbury. Boston is reportedly interested in signing Ellsbury
long-term, but his inconsistent play and the fact that Scott Boras is his agent
have made it difficult for sides to reach an agreement on the center fielder’s
value.
Ellsbury is under contract for one more season and will
likely earn something in the $8-9 million range after a disappointing and
injury-plagued 2012 season. After posting MVP-like numbers in 2012, the
29-year-old only managed an OPS of .682 over 74 games last season.
One of the rumors that is floating around would send
Ellsbury to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for a package built around
young starter Vance Worley.
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