Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Thursday 21 November 2019
Ellsbury released by Yankees, who owe $26 million

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yan- ankle. He returned in late
kees have given up on Ja- August and hit three home
coby Ellsbury, cutting the runs in the playoffs, includ-
oft-injured outfielder with ing a seventh-inning drive
more than $26 million left in off Andrew Miller that lifted
his $153 million, seven-year New York to a 1-0 win over
contract. Cleveland in Game 3 of
Ellsbury, who has not played the Division Series.
since 2017, was released But then he slumped to
Wednesday to clear a 40- a .154 average with four
man roster spot as New RBIs during spring training
York added seven players in 2018 and had surgery
to protect them from next March 27 to remove a bro-
month's Rule 5 draft. ken bone spur from the
Ellsbury is owed $26,285,714 outside of the ankle. Bird
by the Yankees in one of returned May 26 and hit just
their biggest free agent .199 with 11 homers and 38
mistakes: $21,142,857 for RBIs, losing the first-base job
next season plus a $5 mil- to Luke Voit.
lion buyout of a $21 million Eligible for arbitration for
team option for 2021. the first time in 2019, he
New York also cut frequent- In this Aug. 30, 2017, file photo, New York Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury reacts after grounding out to had a $1.2 million salary.
ly injured first baseman end the sixth inning in the first game of the baseball team's doubleheader against the Cleveland Bird went on the injured list
Greg Bird and left-hander Indians at Yankee Stadium in New York. with a left plantar fascia
Nestor Cortes Jr., designat- Associated Press tear on April 16, three days
ing the pair for assignment. seasons with Boston and perienced plantar fasciitis an injury originally sustained after what turned out to be
Outfielder Estevan Florial was in All-Star in 2011, and in his right foot during his re- that May with Double-A his final game. He hit .171 in
was added to the major arrived in New York with a hab program before spring Trenton. 10 games with one RBI, an
league roster along with .284 career average, 104 training this year. Bird returned to bat .451 opening-day home run off
right-handers Deivi García, homers, 512 RBIs and 343 Bird, who turned 27 on Nov. with eight homers in spring Baltimore's Paul Fry.
Luis Gil, Brooks Kriske, Luis steals for Boston. 9, arrived in New York with training during 2017 but Cortes, who turns 25 on
Medina, Nick Nelson and Ellsbury injured an oblique great promise in 2015, de- fouled a ball off his right Dec. 10, was 5-1 with a 5.67
Miguel Yajure. muscle in his right side buting Aug. 13 and hitting ankle March 30, started the ERA in 32 relief appear-
Now 36, Ellsbury hit .264 with early during spring training .261 with 11 homers and 31 season 6 for 60 and went ances and one start this
39 homers, 198 RBIs and 102 in 2018, developed a bad RBIs in 46 games. He missed on the disabled list May 2. year after making four re-
stolen bases in 520 games back and had hip surgery all of 2016 following surgery When the foot did not im- lief appearances in his first
in six seasons with the Yan- on Aug. 6 to repair a torn that Feb. 2 to repair a torn prove, Bird had surgery July big league season with the
kees. He spent his first seven labrum in his left hip. He ex- labrum in his right shoulder, 18 to remove a bone in the Yankees in 2018.q
More than 100 in Congress ask MLB to reconsider minors plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — but also on the long-term and would lower the mini- League' that also would receive an initial monthly
Nearly one-quarter of the support that Congress has mum guaranteed affilia- operate under the auspic- salary of $1,100.
members of the U.S. House always afforded our nation- tion agreements from 160 es of MLB." Halem wrote "the majority
of Representatives asked al pastime on a wide vari- to 120. Major league teams He said based on feedback of major league club own-
Major League Baseball to ety of legislative initiatives." supply players, coaches from teams and players ers believe that there are
reconsider its proposal for The Professional Baseball and equipment to the mi- "we have identified more too many players in the
a restructuring of the minor Agreement between Major nors and say they spend than 40 minor league sta- minor league system" and
leagues after the 2020 sea- League Baseball and the nearly $500 million annu- diums that do not possess said fewer than 5% of play-
son that would lead to 42 National Association of Pro- ally in salary while receiving adequate training facilities, ers selected after the 25th
teams being dropped from fessional Baseball Leagues back only $18 million. medical facilities, locker round of the annual ama-
their current circuits. expires after the 2020 sea- Deputy Commissioner Dan rooms, and, in some cas- teur draft reach the majors.
Reps. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., son. The 176 minor league Halem, in a letter to Con- es, playing fields" and said "Most of the players on the
and David McKinley. R-W. teams affiliated with the gress on Tuesday, said MLB the minor leagues "com- rosters of rookie, short sea-
Va., took the lead in the NAPBL combined to draw wants upgraded stadiums, municated to us that it is son and low-A teams are
letter sent Tuesday to base- 41.5 million fans this year. reduced travel, higher pay unrealistic for us to expect there to fill rosters so the
ball Commissioner Rob MLB's initial proposal, first and better accommo- lower-level minor league minor league teams can
Manfred and signed by 106 reported by Baseball Amer- dations for players and a affiliates to meet our facility stage games for their fans,
members of the House. ica on Oct. 18, would drop more favorable process for standards because of the not because the Major
"The abandonment of mi- four Double-A teams: Bing- reaching affiliation agree- costs involved in upgrading League Clubs require all of
nor league clubs by Major hamton, New York, and ments. Halem wrote that the facilities." those players to develop
League Baseball would Erie, Pennsylvania, of the if "significantly fewer than Jeff Lantz, a spokesman for major league talent." he
devastate our communi- Eastern League and Chat- 160 affiliates" are guaran- the NAPBL, said there was wrote.
ties, their bond purchasers, tanooga and Jackson, teed, dropped communi- not an immediate response In the last contentious ne-
and other stakeholders af- Tennessee, of the Southern ties will be invited "to join from the minor league gov- gotiation over a PBA, Sen.
fected by the potential loss League. The plan would collegiate summer leagues erning body. Arlen Spector, R-Pa., called
of these clubs," the letter eliminate the 28 teams similar to the Cape Cod Several minor league play- for hearings in November
said. "We want you to fully from four Class A Short Sea- League (but under the ers have sued MLB and its 1990. The sides reached
understand the impact this son and Rookie Advanced umbrella of MLB), existing teams, claiming their pay an agreement the follow-
could have not only on the leagues that do not play at independent leagues, or violates minimum wage ing month for a seven-year
communities we represent, spring training complexes a newly created 'Dream laws. Most minor leaguers deal.q