The New York Yankees need a shortstop for 2019, but is signing Manny Machado a realistic option for the Bronx Bombers?
The annual GM Meetings began on Monday and the New York Yankees look ready to be a very active club. The Yankees are a club with holes, but they have the means and attitude to go out and fill them. Whether they choose to bolster their roster through trades or by signing free agents, the New York Yankees will likely have a few new faces in their clubhouse in 2019.
The Yankees are in an interesting spot… They are coming off a season where they won 100 games but still finished second in their division. A team with this type of firepower doesn’t usually look to make drastic changes, but the Yankees seem to be approaching the offseason with this type of attitude. The Red Sox aren’t going anywhere and in order to compete, the Yankees will need to strengthen their starting rotation.
Patrick Corbin and JA Happ seem like the favorites to join Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino, but with Didi Gregorious set to miss most/if not all of 2019, could the team look to upgrade at shortstop too? Manny Machado rumors have become very popular talking points for Yankees’ fans. We all know that he wants to come to New York, but is he a realistic option for the Yankees?
Yankees will look into Machado, and it will depend on the price. Pitching is the priority though (and as said here, with Corbin and Happ top the list)
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 5, 2018
The Yankees originally seemed skeptical about pursuing Machado, but as Jon Heyman recently reported, they are now back in the mix, but only for the right price.
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Those words, the right price, have me wondering, is Machado a realistic option for the New York Yankees?
The Yankees’ current roster configuration will allow the club to capitalize on the current free agent market. Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Luis Severino aren’t going to hit free agency until 2023-2024, with Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres set to be cheap assets for the foreseeable future.
The prevailing opinion seems to be that Manny Machado is set to sign a long-term deal. MLBTradeRumors predicts that Machado will earn a 13 year, $390 million deal.
The Yankees still have 10 years, $285 million committed to Giancarlo Stanton and look set to commit more than $100+ million to Patrick Corbin.
In my eyes, giving $400 million dollars to Manny Machado will just tie the club down in the long run. If the Yankees do sign Machado, they will owe three players over $800 million.
If these predictions are good estimators for their future contracts, by the time 2023/2024 rolls around, the Yankees will still have five years left on Stanton’s contract, eight years left on Machado’s contract, and one year left on Corbin’s contract. By this time, the Yankees’ core will all be free agents. Given Judge’s capabilities, he will likely earn a Giancarlo Stanton(ish) type of contract, and the team will also have to pay Sanchez, Severino and any other players that they will acquire. The Yankees have financial power, but all these contracts will require more than just the Steinbrenner’s financial might. It is reasonable to assume that they will not be able to afford all of these contracts.
In my eyes, the Yankees need to worry about winning now and in the future. Going all in on 2019 is very risky, especially when you factor in the number of dominant teams that play in the American League. Going all in on a player like Machado makes it even riskier, especially if he is the same type of player that he was in the playoffs while with the Dodgers.
With the right move, the New York Yankees will be able to turn this team into a dynasty. While signing Machado might be the correct move in the short run, it could have catastrophic effects on the club’s financials in 2023-2024. Their core won’t be cheap forever.
The Yankees do need a shortstop for 2019, but they should be able to get by without breaking the bank on Manny Machado. Ronald Torreyes has proven to be a serviceable player, while Tyler Wade seems like a logical piece to promote. There are also many serviceable bats on the free agent market.
The Yankees could easily move Gleyber Torres to shortstop and then bring in Ian Kinsler or Daniel Murphy. Kinsler could be valuable because he clearly is at the end of his career. He will likely sign a short-term contract, allowing the Yankees to easily slide Didi Gregorius back into the mix in 2020. This option will also allow the Yankees to spend more money on improving their pitching staff in the short run. Along with Corbin and Happ, the Yankees could also bring in a pitcher like Charlie Morton or Gio Gonzalez on a two/ three-year deal. They could also work on bringing back David Robertson or Zach Britton.
Daniel Murphy will be a little more expensive (still less than $400 million) but he could provide the club with much-needed versatility. Murphy can play 1st, 2nd and 3rd base while providing the Yankees’ lineup with a much-needed contact first hitter. Murphy’s left-handed bat will also help balance out the Yankees’ right-handed lineup. The club could even look to get production out of Murphy for multiple seasons, as he could age into a full-time first base/DH role once Gregorius becomes healthy.
While the New York Yankees can afford Manny Machado in the short term, I do not think that it is reasonable to assume that they can afford him in the long run. I can see Machado coming to New York on a three/four-year deal worth $105-$120 million but I can’t see him turning down a long-term-$400 million offer from a team like the Philadelphia Phillies.
Either way, Yankees’ fans do not need to worry about their team’s future as they are set to be competitive for a long time. The sky is not going to fall on Yankee Stadium if Brain Cashman and Co. do not pull in Machado or Harper.
The Yankees can hit but pitching is the main issue. I will be shocked if the Bombers do not make significant moves to revamp their starting rotation. In the end, Manny Machado is simply an unneeded luxury for the New York Yankees.