The Phillies and Yankees are strong favorites to land the star free agent Manny Machado. But several other teams could also be in play as MLB rumors begin to fly this offseason
The free agent MLB rumors season is only just starting, but it seems like everybody is certain they know where Manny Machado is going to sign. The only possible exceptions are Machado himself and his agent, Scott Boras.
So far, the consensus wisdom has Machado in one of two cities, Philadelphia or New York with the Yankees. The Phillies are said to have both the need for a shortstop and the payroll space to afford one. The Yanks also have the payroll space, having spent the past two seasons paring down their payroll precisely to obtain the flexibility to sign Machado and/or Bryce Harper this off-season.
As for New York’s need, that’s an interesting question. Didi Gregorius has become a mainstay in the Bronx. His 2018 offensive contribution, while not the equal of Machado’s, was certainly serviceable: a .268 average, 27 home runs and an .829 OPS in 569 plate appearances.
But Gregorius is recovering from off-season surgery to repair a wrist injury, and nobody knows how much 2019 time he will miss.
It’s too early in the process to rule out other options, including several potential “dark horse” candidates. Although shortstop is a glamour position in the big leagues – think of Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Xander Bogaerts, Andrelton Simmons, Corey Seager, and Javier Baez – it is not a deep one. More than a dozen teams could easily view themselves as needing an upgrade at the position.
The following list of potential Machado suitors was comprised with four considerations in mind. The first three are: Need for a shortstop, payroll flexibility, and the likelihood that a team featuring Machado could contend in 2019. The final consideration brings in teams that don’t really need a shortstop, but which do need a third baseman – Machado’s former position – and which measure up as potential contenders with payroll flexibility.