Jacoby Ellsbury in New York: ‘It was an Easy Decision’

Dec 13, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; the New York Yankees introduce new center fielder

during press conference at Yankees Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

He’s changed sides, and the fans aren’t very happy about it. It’s true, Jacoby Ellsbury is officially a member of the New York Yankees, trading in his Red Sox hat for pinstripes. In Boston, you could use words like “disappointed” and “frustrated” to describe the emotions of Red Sox fans. In New York, there’s more a spirit of thankfulness. If you think the Yankees are going to take Ellsbury’s talents for granted, you’re sadly mistaken.

Now wearing the number 22, the dynamic player will wear the number Roger Clemens most-recently sported in New York. Something tells me the boo-birds will be similar when Ellsbury heads to Boston to play in front of the Fenway crowd.

After being sent over for the seven-year deal, Ellsbury made it clear that he’s not concerned about the feelings of Red Sox fans–going as far to say that it was an “easy decision”. Here’s a quote from MLB.com detailing Ellsbury’s thoughts on the move to the Big Apple:

"“In the beginning of the process, I think you want to hear what all the teams have to say, but it was a very easy decision once I started talking to New York,” Ellsbury said. “They made it very clear they really wanted me. It went pretty fast and it was an easy decision.”"

Ellsbury called it an “easy decision” to switch sides in this rivalry. Something tells me Boston fans will find it an easy decision to root against their former impact-player now that he’ll be playing under Joe Girardi.

There’s no doubt that this move will strengthen the Boston-New York rivalry, but how much will it affect the short-term matchups? No matter what happens, you can expect Ellsbury to be ready to roll when these two teams face each other in 2014.