The Yankees finally got to the point where there was no room on the 40-man roster for Jacoby Ellsbury or Greg Bird making moves to rid themselves of the pair, along with Nestor Cortes Jr., on Wednesday.
Ellsbury, owed just north of $26 million as part of a $21 million salary for 2020 and a $5 million buyout for 2021, was released by the Yankees on Wednesday night.
The Yankees also made the decision to designate frequently injured first baseman Greg Bird for assignment. Left-handed Cortes Jr., also fell victim to a number crunching game.
Making the decision to cut Ellsburg and designate Bird for assignment came as the Yankees added seven players to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.
Outfielder Estevan Florial was added to the major league roster along with right-handers Deivi Garcia, Luis Gil, Brooks Kriske, Luis Medina, Nick Nelson and Miguel Yajure.
