Jacoby ellsbury roger clemens

Jacoby ellsbury roger clemens, There were smiles all around the Legends Club facilities on Friday afternoon as the Yankees introduced Jacoby Ellsbury, their new center fielder.

“I’m very excited to be a New York Yankee, it’s truly an honor to play for such a storied franchise,” the former Red Sox star declared after he was introduced to the podium.

Jacoby Ellsbury’s smile was one that the Yankees hope will be seen often, as one of the faces of the Yankees’ future. “When the Yankees expressed how much they wanted me, my decision became an easy one to make. I’m looking forward to becoming a leader on this team,” said Ellsbury.

Manager Joe Girardi also had a smile as he looked at the new addition to the top of his lineup. “I’ve seen him get hits and home runs; I’ve seen him steal second, third, and even had the pleasure of watching him steal home,” said Girardi. “Jacoby Ellsbury is going to make my job a lot easier.”

But Girardi’s job also got a bit harder, as there will be one player that won’t be available to him in the lineup next season: second baseman Robinson Cano.

The link between Cano’s departure to Seattle and Ellsbury’s signing was a popular topic of discussion at the news conference as the players reached agreements with their new teams on the same day. Friday, Ellsbury was sporting his new No. 22 pinstriped jersey. Coincidentally, Cano wore that same number early in his major-league career and will be wearing that number for the Mariners.

“I was told [that Cano wore 22 at first], but it didn’t factor into my decision one way or another,” said Ellsbury.

General manager Brian Cashman also responded to Cano’s comments from an introductory news conference in Seattle on Thursday that the Yankees didn’t “respect” him.

“Seattle obviously showed Robbie more respect financially than we did. Sometimes you can get confused with what is respect and what is a difference in opinion,” said Cashman.

Cashman noted that the Yankees are still not done this offseason, as the team has needs to fill in its rotation, bullpen and infield.

“Jacoby Ellsbury is one piece of a puzzle,” said Cashman. We are still trying to put together something that our fans can be proud of in 2014 and beyond.”