Reports on Saturday morning specified the New York Yankees provided All-Star shortstop Manny Machado with a wealthy offer. Whether the rumor is true and whether Machado would accept it will be determined soon enough.
Manny Machado might get what he’s wanted all offseason: a chance to play for the New York Yankees and a long-term, lucrative contract. At least, that’s what was reported Saturday morning per former Mets general manger Jim Duquette, who claimed he heard about it.
The presumed offer is worth $220 million, but reports only clarify that it could be for seven or eight years. Machado has expressed in the past he’s willing to play in the Bronx.
If the rumors are true, then he has his chance. But Machado could use this to spark a bidding war between New York and other teams. The only other team that publicly announced its offer was the Chicago White Sox, though many believed the $175 million deal was not legitimate.
It’s difficult to argue that the shortstop is not worth a $200 million deal. Machado posted his best season in his young career, garnering 37 home runs and more than 100 RBIs, as well as a .905 OPS.
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Machado ranked in the top 15 in WAR in three of the past four seasons, validating that he is more than just a slugging middle infielder. However, his defense was not as spectacular last season during his final few months in Baltimore.
Nevertheless, the biggest issue facing the star pertains to what happened in the postseason last year. Machado intentionally clipped Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running down the line.
Other instances throughout Machado’s career show he can be careless at times and show no effort. This is common amongst MLB players, but being that he is a former MVP candidate, it is not acceptable my many fans.
Yankees fans are divided on whether Machado would be worth the prolonged contract. Many might remember Alex Rodriguez’s record-breaking 10-year, $275 million deal. Other will also recall the Robinson Cano debacle that may have been a dodged bullet, as he continues to age.
New York already possesses a deep infield platoon, but the four-time All-Star’s addition would arguably catapult them to the status of World Series favorites. If not, they still remain a major contender along with the Red Sox and Astros.
The Yankees ranked in the top 10 in shortstop OPS, courtesy of Didi Gregorius. And they ranked in the top 10 in third baseman OPS as well, though many are skeptical that Miguel Andujar can recreate his fantastic first season.
It’s clear that manager Aaron Boone would have to shuffle his troops around. If Machado covers shortstop, that would mean Troy Tulowitzki loses most of his playing time. Also, many would anticipate a trade to occur following a Machado signing, possibly involving Andujar.
Whether Machado would accept the current offer is unknown. Now that front offices see that New York is involved, they have a threshold to meet and possibly surpass. This was not the case when Chicago relayed its “offer” a few weeks ago.
But this could get the ball rolling and the phones ringing. Several teams will likely be in contact with Machado and his agent and pile on the money. If a team offers more than the Yankees, Machado might buy in.
Although, the shortstop said he wanted to be a part of the Yankees organization. Now he can confirm that was indeed correct, or if he’s willing to confront a larger challenge with a different organization.