New York Mets Rumors: Is Manny Machado a possibility for the Mets?

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – JULY 17: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles fields a ground ball during the 89th MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Could the New York Mets sign Manny Machado in the offseason? With David Wright’s departure, Machado could be the team’s next superstar at third base.

Even though they played well down the stretch of the season, the New York Mets have once again proven to be the little brother to the Bronx Bombers. The New York Yankees began their quest for their 28th Word Series Championship by easily handling the young Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card game. They now look to challenge the mighty Boston Red Sox in the Division Series.

Meanwhile, the Mets and their owners made headlines this week as the Wilpon’s blamed their organizational shortcomings on former General Manager, Sandy Alderson. This is not a great look for an organization that is currently looking to hire their next “visionary” to build a contender for 2019. The Mets showed clear signs of improvement down the stretch of 2018, but their new General Manager will need to be creative in order to turn this current roster into a World Series contender.

Led by Jacob deGrom and their talented pitching staff, the Mets have the beginnings of a talented roster. In my opinion, an elite right-handed bat will go a long way in shaping a winning team, especially with Yoenis Cespedes continuing to look like a long-term injury concern.

The club badly needs a right-handed slugger to balance out a line-up which is set to include left-handed sluggers, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, and Jay Bruce. Could Manny Machado be on option for the New York Mets? With Machado at third, Todd Fraizer could slide over to first base until Peter Alonso or Yoenis Cespedes become ready to take over at the position.

The Mets bet on themselves by holding onto their pitchers at this year’s Trade Deadline. Signing Machado will give the team their much-needed bat. This should help the Amazins’ return to October baseball.

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 18: Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado (8) at bat during a MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 18, 2018 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Is Manny Machado a reasonable possibility for the New York Mets?

The optimistic side of me wants to say yes, but the team lacks the track record of doing what needs to be done to win baseball games. The Amazins’ have the opportunity to shape their immediate future. Manny Machado could have a Mike Piazza/Yoenis Cespedes type of impact on the club. Another good comp would be when Frank Cashen brought in Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter to be the veteran presence on the Mets’ young 80’s teams. These two were key parts in the club’s 1986 World Series Championship.

In the end, it all comes down to the Mets’ lack of money and their unwillingness to spend it.

The Mets only have $92.5 million on the books for 2019, before arbitration raises kick in, and only $58 million guaranteed for 2020. They will also not have to dish out contracts to their young players until 2020 at the earliest.

The Mets should have the money to be a contender for a big name free agent, but there is always a question mark around the amount of money that the team has to spend. The Wilpon’s financial struggles have been well documented and it is holding the club back.

This is a shame because there is not a good reason for the Mets to not have a top-five payroll. New York is one of the biggest markets in the country. Signing Machado will help the New York Mets capitalize on their market, a skill that the Yankees have seemed to master. A better team will lead to more tickets sold and more overall spotlight. This will result in more money coming back to the owners. This risk could result in a big reward. Management needs to capitalize on their current roster and the arbitration process before their stars become eligible for free agency.

The Mets will have insurance money coming back from the contracts of David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes. This should go a long way in opening up room to sign Machado. He has made it clear that he wants to come to New York (even though the Yankees may be his first choice), but the chance to be the face of a franchise may be enough to entice him. He could take the torch from Wright and be the Mets new All-Star third baseman.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 29: Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws the ball to first base to get the out of Joe Panik #12 of the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at AT&T Park on September 29, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

How the deal works

Many of the league’s recent mega-deals have turned into albatrosses for their respective teams. I think it is very reasonable to assume that Machado could sign for 3-4 years for $120-160 million. He will hit free agency again by the time he turns 30-years-old, while still capitalizing on his yearly salary amount.

This type of deal should be a perfect fit for the New York Mets. They could capitalize on their current roster and have Machado through 2021. Cespedes will then come off the books and the team will have the flexibility to pay deGrom in 2021 and Noah Syndergaard in 2022. The team could be a real threat if they take advantage of their young player’s arbitration years.