No sooner had Jacoby Ellsbury finished a phenomenal 2007 season that saw him dominate both minor and major league pitching than he was offered up in a potential trade.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, they never pulled the trigger on a deal for Johan Santana that may have included Ellsbury and two other high-end prospects, but the message was clear: This is a business first and foremost, comfort be damned.
"You get a sense of comfort [coming up in a system]. It's pretty important to me," Ellsbury said as the rumors swirled around him. "It's not as important to a veteran player, but to a young guy like myself, it's definitely important."
When trade talks ended between the Sox and the Minnesota Twins, Ellsbury was safe. But a pattern was established that would mark the young outfielder's first few seasons in a Red Sox uniform. Despite his remarkable production, gradual improvement and seemingly limitless potential, there was often an alternative viewpoint, either within the club or among its fan base.
Hit .353 in 33 games in 2007 and .438 in the World Series? Trade bait. Hit .280, lead the American League in stolen bases and sabermetrically rank as one of the best defensive outfielders in the game the following year? Get benched after a few hitless performances in the AL Championship Series. Bat .300 with 21 stolen bases in your first 48 games in 2009? Get dropped out of the leadoff spot for nearly two months. Have one season at the age of 25 in which you misjudge a few balls in one of the more difficult center fields in all of baseball? Get moved to left in favor of a 37-year-old.
The Red Sox could not be faulted for any of this. They were doing what they thought was best for the club in each scenario, and Ellsbury was still a central figure in everything the team did. And he still found time to amaze. There was the great diving catch in the fourth inning of Jon Lester's no-hitter, a snag that few realized would be so important at the time. He had another in Game 1 of the 2008 ALCS that helped propel Boston past Anaheim, a contest in which he also had three hits and two steals.
Perhaps the highlight of the 2009 season for the Red Sox was Ellsbury stealing home against the New York Yankees, his face smacking into the dirt around home plate as onlookers dropped their jaws in unison. This was the year they saw him break the team record for steals, increase his batting average by 21 points and his OPS by 41, and showcase a more patient approach that yielded an increase in walks and a decrease in strikeouts, a point of concern for some to that point. And still, despite the fact that he had otherworldly talent that was just being realized, Ellsbury was rumored to be a candidate in a proposed trade for Adrian Gonzalez that winter. He also had those tied to defensive metrics questioning his value as a center fielder. When the trade dried up, the signing of veteran Mike Cameron moved Ellsbury to left field, a move the youngster accepted.
A mind-set he attained early on helped Ellsbury understand that it was all part of being a major leaguer, even one with a skill set perhaps unparalleled in the game.
"I'm a pretty even-keeled person," he once said. "I don't get too high, get too low."
While Ellsbury stayed the course for two sensational years, he endured enough ins and outs, ups and downs, position changes and trade rumors to keep his status from matching that of his immense talent. He was a star, to be sure, and had a growing highlight reel (as well as an adoring legion of female followers). But for whatever reason, someone would always find a way to dim his star.
Then came 2010.
Check back Friday for a look at Ellsbury's lost 2010 campaign, and whether it will impact him going forward.
