Jacoby Ellsbury could screw over the Yankees from baseball purgatory

If the New York Yankees lose their grievance to outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, it could cost them in the MLB Draft.

The New York Yankees have never been shy to throw some money around in hopes of it resulting in a World Series championship. Back in 2014, the Yankees signed former Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153 million contract, and it never worked out due to the player suffering a multitude of injuries. The team opted to release Ellsbury in 2019, but the outfielder filed a grievance.

As it turns out, the grievance carries consequences for the Yankees.

According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, if Ellsbury wins his entire $21.1 million salary for the 2020 season in the grievance, the Yankees will go over the luxury tax threshold and their 20th-overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft would drop 10 spots.

Yankees: If Jacoby Ellsbury wins grievance against New York, it could effect the MLB Draft

As Callis notes, there is no exact timetable available for a decision to be announced. But that would take a serious toll on New York’s draft capital.

Back in 2019, the MLBPA filed a grievance against the Yankees after they converted Ellsbury’s contract into a non-guaranteed deal, saying he violated the contract by receiving unauthorized medical treatment. Ellsbury is saying that he did not need the Yankees’ position, as he was getting treated for a non-baseball injury. This is all from the Associated Press.

Ellsbury only played a grand total of four seasons with the Yankees, as he missed the entirety of the 2018 and 2019 campaigns due to a plethora of injuries, with the most serious being a torn labrum in his hip. Overall, Ellsbury slashed .264/.330/.386 while recording 39 home runs, 198 RBI, 273 runs scored and 511 hits. In New York’s two postseason runs, Ellsbury failed to log a single hit.

It is unknown when the final decision will be made, but if Ellsbury wins, the Yankees will go well over the luxury tax threshold.