Yanks Agree to 7-Year Deal With Jacoby Ellsbury (UPDATED)

This has all come out in the last 20 minutesor so, but apparently the Yankees and free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury have agreed to a 7-year deal.

Jon Heyman first reported that the 2 sides were close, and it has since been confirmed by Mark Feinsand that it's a done deal pending a physical.  No specifics on the dollar amount but Feinsand says it will be bigger than Carl Crawford's 7/$142 million deal with Boston a few years back.

I honestly don't know what to say here.  I didn't see this coming and I don't think anybody did.  More on the story as it comes out.

** UPDATE 7:44 PM- Multiple Yankee beat guys confirming Heyman's report that the deal is close but still not done.  Feinsand now saying it's 7 years/$153 million.  This is shocking to say the least. **

** UPDATE 7:54 PM- Via Joel Sherman, the Yankees have stated that they have no intention of trading Brett Gardner.  If that's true, they'll have a hell of a defensive outfield. **

** UPDATE 8:04 PM- Via Bryan Hoch, there is an option for an 8th year that could bring the total value of the deal to $169 mil.  I imagine that's for AAV/payroll purposes but I still don't like it. **

** UPDATE 11/4 7:41 AM- Via Heyman, the deal includes a full no-trade clause.  That's 2 of those now for the 2 big signings. **

Yanks Make McCann Signing Official (UPDATED)

The Yankees have issued the formal statement, so I guess that means everything checked out with the physical and Brian McCann is now officially the 37th current member of the roster and the starting catcher for the 2014 season.  As part of the team's official statement, Hal Steinbrenner had this to say:

“The singular and unwavering desire of this organization is to construct a team each and every season designed to play meaningful baseball deep into October.  In Brian McCann, we feel we have made a significant improvement to a key position, while adding a high-character presence to our clubhouse. Our work this offseason has just begun, but we feel this is an important step towards what will be an exciting and rewarding 2014 season for our fans.”

Big, bold words that match up with what the team has been saying for a while and doing since the green flag dropped on this offseason.  I said after the deal was signed that I thought this was a great move for the Yankees for multiple reasons.  They've added an elite catcher for a reasonable amount of years at market value and will have the added benefit of extending his career thanks to the DH spot in the American League.  Looking forward to McCann's introductory presser on Thursday and finding out what number he'll wear.

** UPDATE 4:10 PM- Via Joel Sherman, here are the details on the vesting option: 1,000 PA in 2017-2018, 90 games at catcher in 2018, and not on DL at the end of 2018.  All 3 must be met for the 2019 option to vest.  That's pretty good for the Yankees. **

Non-Tender Deadline Moves Won't Be The End Of The 40-Man Shuffle

(Listen to the bell, Vernon.  It tolls for thee.  Courtesy of Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The non-tender deadline was yesterday and the Yankees continued their onslaught of offseason activity with a flurry of moves.  They traded Chris Stewart to the Pirates for a PTBNL in the morning, reuniting him with his 2012 catching partner and clearing some of their new logjam at the catcher spot caused by the Brian McCann signing.  In the afternoon, they officially non-tendered Jayson Nix, Matt Daley, and David Adams, freeing up 3 40-man roster spots in the process.

Stewart's spot makes 4 but that will go to McCann when his signing is made official later this week.  With so many free agent feelers out right now and the Rule 5 Draft coming up next week, those 3 remaining spots will really come in handy.  You have to think the Yankees are unofficially reserving 1 for Robinson Cano, or whoever they sign to replace him in the unlikely event he signs elsewhere.  Another will be held for Hiroki Kuroda, to whom the Yankees have reportedly made another 1-year contract offer.  And based on the Yankees' recent history, it's high likely they will select a player - another unheralded bullpen arm is my guess - in the Rule 5, bringing them back to a full 40-man roster.

Non-Tender Deadline Wrap-Up

So a lot of stuff happened yesterday afternoon and last night that I didn't get to.  If you were busy like I was, here's what you missed.

- The Yankees non-tendered Jayson Nix, Matt Daley, and David Adams to free up 3 more spots on the 40-man roster.  I bet they'll try to re-sign all of them to MiL deals, but Adams is the only one I'd care about getting back.

- They did sign Russ Canzler to a MiL deal, giving him a second go-round after cutting him in February.  I did a piece on Canzler way back when they first signed him in January and he still profiles as that same type of player.  Has always hit lefties in the Minors and can play some corner IF/OF.

- Brendan Ryan's new deal was formally announced by the team.  Via Joel Sherman, the deal is actually worth $2 million this year and next year with a team option for 2016.  If the Yankees decline, it becomes a $1 million player option, bringing the AAV of the deal to $1.67 mil.  Every little bit helps.