Salary Caps and Dead Money: Introducing “The Ellsbury”

Here’s a radical idea to restore balance in the Yankee Universe and make them an enjoyable team to watch again.

It is a little complex so bear with me…

As we all know, the Yankees have a lot of high salaried players that frankly we can’t stand to watch anymore and need to go. (Cough. Chapman. Cough.) 

Keeping them is disheartening for the fans, and for the clubhouse. 

Add players who have great potential but just can't seem to get off the IL and that pretty much sums up the current state of the team. 

Unfortunately, these players make WAY too much money for what they deliver to be easily tradeable. We could do a straight salary dump but our return will be next to nothing so it almost pays to keep them. Almost.  Plus, we need more high end minor leaguers. 

We could sign some top free agents but there's the Yankee Salary Cap uh… Luxury Tax Threshold. Screw that! Who are we kidding, let’s call it what it is… a Salary Cap.  So we're pretty much screwed. 

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My solution: The Ellsbury! 

The NFL has what they call Dead Money.  When they cut someone or trade them and pick up some of the tab, the amount they still pay goes against their cap. They call it Dead Money. A cap hit.

I propose that we offer 50% of the salaries on the players we need to get rid of and ask for real prospects in return.  Take the total money that we need to absorb and just pretend that we have a Ghost Player – An Ellsbury.

An Ellsbury is defined as “A sunk cost given to a player who gets paid but will never actually take the field.” Think of the “Ellsbury” as a unit of money.  Say, around 21-25 Million Dollars.  

Where the Yankees have screwed up in the past is, previously the “Ellsbury” all went to one player. I’ll give you a hint, it was Ellsbury.  Before that it was A-Rod.  

The key to my plan is to spread the sunk cost around.

I believe the Yankees can afford two Ellsbury’s and still stay under the cap. 

NOTE: The players that make up the Ellsbury don't have to go to the same team We just aggregate the cost. 

Ellsbury #1

Stanton 15M a year.

That’s a really good deal for that kind of potential.  We pick up 15M towards the Ellsbury and get 15M to sign a replacement plus, we get the player(s) from the trade.  Presumably a couple of top 15 minor leaguers from our trading partner’s farm.

Chapman 8.5M

Fair money for Chapman.  Someone will bite. Again, the benefit is no Chapman and some minor league arms.

Take Stanton’s 15M, add Chapman’s 8.5 and we have our first Ellsbury.

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Ellsbury #2

Odor for 6M a year. A perfectly acceptable cost for a utility guy.

Plus,

Hicks at 5.5M? Signed through 2026! That’s a flyer some team will take.

Severino 7.5M.  A potential ace for the next two years! Wow.

Clint Frazier’s legendary bat speed for 1.1M? A bargain.

Add Joey Gallo for 3M and there is your second Ellsbury.

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Cost neutral.  They become someone else's problem. We add to the farm and still have money to spend.  Good deals all around. It's a win-win.