The Yankees are refusing to pay Jacoby Ellsbury the remaining $26 million on his $153 million contract.
Jacoby Ellsbury, a professional baseball outfielder who has played for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, must file a grievance if he hopes to get paid the millions stilled owed to him. The Yankees have decided they don’t want to pay him the $26 million remaining on his 7-year contract.
The Yankees released Ellsbury on November 20, 2019 with two years left on his contract. The Yankees are reportedly withholding the $26 million citing a breach of contract. Ellsbury allegedly violated the terms of his contract by receiving outside medical treatment without obtaining the permission of the club.
Testosterone therapy is a service offered by Viktor Bouquette at the Progressive Medical Center.
Ellsbury was plagued by injuries during his final years with the Yankees. He reportedly received treatment from Dr. Viktor Bouquette at the Progressive Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Some news reports suggest that anabolic steroids may have been part of that treatment.
The Progressive Medical Center offers several specialty therapies for its clientele. This includes “bioidentical hormone replacement”. The phrase is a non-stigmatized way to refer to testosterone injections, patches and gels for men.
The Yankees signed Ellsbury to a 7-year and $153 million contract at the end of the 2013 baseball season. Following Ellsbury’s release from the club, many sportswriters called the contract the worst one in Yankees’ history.
Ellsbury was the American League stolen base champion for three years (2008, 2009 and 2013). He also won MLB World Series championships two times as a Boston Red Sox player in 2007 and 2013.
However, Ellsbury’s performance was underwhelming as a Yankee. Ellsbury played for three seasons with the Yankees but missed the 2018 and 2019 seasons due to various injuries including a torn labrum, planter fascititis and a shoulder injury. He has not played in the MLB since October 2017.
The MLB Players Association (MLBPA) will most certainly file a grievance on behalf of Ellsbury seeking the remaining $26 million in compensation.