Because of the name and the underperformance and the injuries, this kind of rumor gets a disproportionate amount of attention and – from Cubs fans – hostility.
But this is really not much of a big deal beyond the discussion it generates:
Cubs have considered/discussed Jacoby Ellsbury. Probably a long shot but Cubs have a leadoff issue and Ellsbury is a surprise free agent after being released. JE hasn’t played in 2 years so before moving forward they’d want to gauge his interest/mindset.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 17, 2020
Ellsbury, now 36, hasn’t played in a couple years, and hasn’t really been a solid starter for more than twice that long:
As you can see, there’s little reason to expect that Ellsbury could emerge in 2020 as a good bench piece, let alone anything more than that. He’s not a solution to the “leadoff issue.” (Just give the job to Anthony Rizzo and be done with it.)
But, like I said, whatever. Maybe he gets healthy, maybe he becomes a nice, veteran bench bat and 5th outfielder. Or maybe he’s just a good veteran presence in Spring Training. Whatever the case, you wouldn’t expect much and there really wouldn’t be any downside.
If the Cubs aren’t “able” to sign any big league contracts right now, then all the more reason to at least take some swings on minor league type deals like this.
We’ll see if this actually happens. Even if it does, let’s hope this is viewed as a supplement to any other activity the rest of the way and not the Cubs just settling into this groove, knowing that the rest of their plans have already been foiled.
Also, Heyman subsequently tweeted that he’s not even sure this is more than a long shot:
Here new Cubs manager David Ross recalls what Ellsbury meant to the Red Sox when they were teammates. Cubs have reached out but this should probably considered a long shot for now. https://t.co/5ODTzlLY9W
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 17, 2020