Report: Ellsbury 'unlikely' to waive no-trade clause to leave Yankees

Jacoby Ellsbury may be out of a job with the New York Yankees, but he doesn't seem to want to go anywhere.

The outfielder and his large contract are seen as a likely candidate to be traded this winter now that the Yankees have acquired Giancarlo Stanton, but, like Stanton, Ellsbury possesses a full no-trade clause in his contract that stands in the way of any possible deals. A source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on Monday that it's "unlikely" Ellsbury would waive his clause to facilitate a trade away.

Ellsbury began last season as the Yankees' starting center fielder but Aaron Hicks eventually took over the position and, save for some time lost to injury, remained there for the rest of the season. Owner Hal Steinbrenner has repeatedly stated his goal is to keep the Yankees under the luxury tax limit, even with the addition of Stanton, so holding on to Ellsbury - who will make a little over $21 million in each of the next three seasons - as a potentially very expensive fourth outfielder might not work for the club financially.

Currently, New York sits a little over $14 million under the tax threshold, according to Cot's Contracts.

The 34-year-old Ellsbury appeared in 112 games for the Yankees last season, hitting .264/.348/.402 with seven homers, 39 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. He didn't record a hit in 12 plate appearances during the postseason.

While a report on Sunday suggested the Yankees were "weighing trades" for Ellsbury, it's not clear if any concrete offers may be on the table.