Ellsbury fiasco: Lots of blame to go around

TAMPA — It’s midFebruary, and Jacoby Ellsbury is still wearing pinstripes, so the 34-year-old veteran and the Yankees are just going to have to make it work.

The Bombers have tried all offseason to move Ellsbury, but the three years and $68 million remaining on his contract have made that pipe dream a fruitless endeavor. The team never asked him to waive his no-trade clause, he said. Of course, it’s likely because no team wants him — even at half that price.

So Ellsbury has come into spring training as the team’s backup center fielder, hoping he can somehow unseat favorite Aaron Hicks and get his old job back. As usual, Ellsbury’s answers were pretty programmed. Here’s the annual soundtrack when you press play:

“Every year, you come in and compete,” Ellsbury said Sunday. “There’s never been one year that the lineup has been made already in my 10 years in the big leagues. Everyone comes in, works hard, and there’s not a lineup made up yet. That’s how I look at it.”

Both sides are to blame for why it’s gotten to this point.

Ellsbury didn’t give himself seven years and $153 million in 2014. The team did. And now, because he’s fallen behind Hicks on the depth chart — dating back to last postseason — Ellsbury’s albatross contract has become a continual headache for the Yankees as they look to improve their roster while staying under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold.

No additional funds to pursue Yu Darvish . . . trade speculation surrounding accomplished veterans David Robertson and Brett Gardner — neither of whom should be jettisoned . . . and Clint Frazier being blocked from matriculating to the majors . . . Etc … Etc … And yet, from Ellsbury’s perspective, you wonder why he hasn’t pushed harder to get out of town and find a fresh start elsewhere. Maybe the opportunity simply isn’t available, and there is no sense being a malcontent.

He certainly could’ve played better, too. Being a 1.7 WAR player when you make $21 million a year and don’t appear to bring any extra intangible qualities to the ballpark doesn't play well.

“I’m not getting into that right now,” Ellsbury said when asked if he’d rather be a role player in New York compared to a starter on another team.

“We haven’t started day one yet. Like I’ve said, I can only control what I can control, and that’s going out there and preparing.”

As it stands, Ellsbury, who also unfortunately dealt with a concussion in 2017, provides depth in the event that Hicks or Gardner gets hurt.

So yes, Ellsbury is still a Yankee: whether the team or fans want him to be or not.

When he plays in a crowded outfield/DH spot remains TBD, as does how he handles such a lesser role over a full, 162game campaign.

“We can't ignore what Hicks was able to do last year,” Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, (Giancarlo) Stanton and (Aaron) Judge are going to be in the lineup in some way, shape and form pretty much every day. Gardy has earned (similar consideration) with the level of consistency of his play. Now, with Gardy, there are going to be times where we try to pick a few more spots than he has in the past couple years where he will be off — against a lefty, say — but that’s more about preservation because we feel like we have the depth of those outfielders that we’re not going to have any dropoff when we decide to rest guys.”

It’s time for both sides to make the best of a difficult situation.

“I just know I have a ton of baseball left and I’m excited to just go out there and play,” Ellsbury said. “That’s really it.”