Jon Heyman On Gresh & Zo: 'I'd Frankly Be Shocked' If Red Sox Trade Ellsbury This Offseason
CBSSports national baseball insider Jon Heyman joined Gresh & Zo to talk the MLB hot stove as the GM meetings get set to begin.
As far as Red Sox fans are concerned, with Jacoby Ellsbury entering the final year of his contract before he can leave Boston via free agency, should anyone be expecting Ellsbury to be traded soon?
"I don't think they're going to trade him," Heyman said. "They may look at it. They'll look at everything, I'm sure that's the way they do it. Right now they have a deficit of outfielders, not an excess. I think they think very highly of him, they expect a lot from him in his walk year. So I'd be surprised if they traded Ellsbury."
Ellsbury finished second in AL MVP voting two seasons ago, but he only played 74 games last season after suffering a shoulder injury in April. When he did return, he batted just .271 with four homers and a .682 OPS on the season.
"I'm sure there will be teams that show interest ... but the value isn't going to be what [the Red Sox] want back for him because he's got only one year to go," Heyman said. "So I'd frankly be shocked if they traded Ellsbury."
Heyman also commented on Red Sox pitching coach Rick Peterson, saying "I don't see any reason why this wouldn't happen."
Heyman said that he expects perhaps the biggest mystery market "ever" for free agent Josh Hamilton, but if the Sox don't land Torii Hunter, Cody Ross or any other free agents, they might be in on Hamilton.
"Boston is interesting. We'll see. They definitely could use an outfielder. ... If they're left out there needing an outfielder two months from now, I'm not going to rule it out. He's obviously very talented, they obviously have the money and resources to do it."
