Yankees
complete Ellsbury, Kuroda signings
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[December 09, 2013]
(Reuters) — The New York Yankees
announced on Saturday they have signed former Red Sox outfielder Jacoby
Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153 million deal and have also locked up
Japanese right hander Hiroki Kuroda for one more season.
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Ellsbury made the switch between the bitter division rivals after
winning the World Series with Boston this year, agreeing to the deal
which also has a $21 million team option for the 2021 season, with a
$5 million buyout.
The total package could be worth $169 million over eight years.
The 30-year-old has a .297 career batting average with 476 runs, 155
doubles, 65 home runs, 314 runs batted in (RBI) and 241 stolen bases
in 715 games over seven seasons.
He led the majors last season with 52 stolen bases and in 16 playoff
games hit .344 (22-for-64), leading all postseason players in hits
and runs (14) en route to winning his second career World Series.
"I think it gives you tremendous defense in your outfield, where
these guys are going to cover a lot of ground," Yankees manager Joe
Girardi said on the club's official website.
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"They (Ellsbury and current team member Brett Gardner) both
can put a lot of pressure on a pitcher when they're on the
basepaths, and their ability to go from first to third or first
to home on a number of base hits.
"We think Jacoby's home run total will probably rise a little
bit playing in this park compared to Fenway."
Kuroda, the 38-year-old Japanese starting pitcher, agreed to a
$16 million one-year deal after going 11-13 with a 3.31 ERA in
32 starts with the Yankees in 2013.
He made nine scoreless starts, the most among all American
League pitchers and second-most in the Majors behind only the LA
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (10).
(Reporting by Ben Everill in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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