Ben Cherington gives his opinion on Jacoby Ellsbury as a distraction

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington took all of 38 seconds to discuss Jacoby Ellsbury and the possibility that the injury-prone center fielder could be a distraction to the team this season. Cherington gave a canned and somewhat boring answer when asked about his prized leadoff hitter, but that’s not to say Cherington isn't thinking long term. With Ellsbury under a one-year deal (thank God we avoided arbitration) the opportunity to part ways with him during the season will arise, a lot.

Cherington will have to make many decisions during the 2013 season, but the long-term future of Ellsbury with the Red Sox is going to be his biggest one moving forward. With Scott Boras (ruthless and infamous sports agent) manning the Ellsbury brand who knows what his asking price will be next season.

A lot rides on this 2013 season for both Ellsbury and Cherington, and before it’s all over it wouldn't surprise me if one of these two were gone from the organization, permanently.