HOW REAL IS THIS VERLANDER FOR ELLSBURY RUMOR?

Eh... it's not.

But damn it's fun to think about!

Hell, if we could trade Jacoby Ellbury for a years supply of Taco Bell... I'm all over that too.  I love Taco Bell. Actually, truth be told, I love tacos in general.  Fish Tacos, Beef Tacos, Chicken Tacos, soft or hard. Sometimes soft and hard combined. I don't discriminate when it comes to Tacos.

I throw grilled corn in there, some sharp cheddar... lettuce, tomato.  Gotta have the Tabasco.  Mmm... I'm friggin starving...

Anyway look.  Suzie Pinstripe sent me this text a short time ago, and I was so busy yesterday and today, I had no idea it was even 'a thing'.  And yes, technically it IS a thing, but technically it's also not.

It's speculation and rumor and while I love it... I'm not sure if this is even something the Tigers would go for.  I mean, Jacoby Ellsbury's contract is ridonk.

Then I read something in Sports Detroit Nation or Detroit Sports Nation or something, from writer Don Drysdale... I'm not kidding... who wrote this:

Photo: Getty Images

"Buster Olney published a piece on Sunday titled, “Which big contract could the Yankees take on to trade Jacoby Ellsbury?” The piece is centered around the Yankees finding out a way to unload Jacoby Elsbury‘s contract which will pay him north of $21 million over each of the next three seasons with a buyout option of $5 million for the 2021 season.

Included on Olney’s list of potential trade pieces to make a deal for Ellsbury work are Tigers starting pitchers, Justin Verlander and Jordan Zimmermann."

And I'm like, "Oh, it's from Olney. When's that guy been right?"  

And so then I started thinking about how ridiculous Olney, Bill Madden and Jon Heyman are sometimes with their rumor mill and how they remind me of a bunch of dogs at a table playing cards talking about how they can make up all this garbage and folks like me write about it and get annoyed because the bottom line is... if you every follow these guys, they don't actually get their rumors right... they're only right AFTER a trade is made. You know what I mean?

So, I kept digging to see if there were any legs to this rumor...

Michael Kay and Don LaGreca spoke about it, but after the Olney report. So the bottom line is, while I kind of love this rumor, there is nothing really to it. It's pure speculation and fun to talk about.

Look, would I like to see Clint Frazier out there the outfield instead of JE? Yes.  But we're stuck with the guy I'm afraid and anyone who saw us sign Jacoby years ago knew this would happen. 

Photo: Getty Images

Do we need pitching? Yes.  Could we get some Tigers starters? Sure... but is there any way we can get rid of Jacoby in the process? Hopefully.

Well, thank God we have Cashman.  Maybe he can figure it out.

For now... I'm getting some tacos...

Casey BYB Merchandise (2017)