If the Yankees can manage to find a way to void Jacoby Ellsbury’s $26 million in owed money for the 2020-21 season, it would open up a ton of cash-flow to sign a top-level free agent. $26 million is just short of the amount it would take to sign a player like Gerrit Cole to bolster the starting pitching rotation.
However, the Yanks have a plan for Ellsbury, a player who came from the Boston Red Sox to have one decent season over four active years. He missed the last two seasons with separate injuries, and with two years left on his deal, the Bombers are in a tough position.