Dodgers pending free agent Manny Machado has made it known he prefers shortstop, but the former Baltimore third baseman would return to the hot corner “for the right team,” Jon Heyman of Fancred writes. A willingness to play third certainly won’t hurt Machado on the open market, where he’s expected to sign one of the richest contracts ever, as it could encourage more teams to get involved in the bidding. Machado prefers to sign with the Yankees, Heyman relays, which jibes with a previous report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The Yankees already have an excellent shortstop in Didi Gregorius and a big-hitting rookie third basemen in Miguel Andujar, but their presences didn’t prevent the team from pursuing Machado at this year’s non-waiver trade deadline. Gregorius is only under contract for another year, moreover, while Machado is a much better defender at third than Andujar. Speculatively, if the Yankees sign Machado and extend Gregorius, perhaps they’d move Andujar to first base (where they haven’t gotten much production this year) or use him as trade bait to acquire pitching.
More rumblings from Heyman…
- The Indians were the most aggressive pursuers of Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper at the non-waiver trade deadline in July, according to Heyman. However, the Indians were unwilling to trade high-end pitching prospect Triston McKenzie for Harper – who’ll be a free agent at season’s end – and general manager Mike Rizzo didn’t want to deal Harper anyhow. Expectations are that the Rizzo-led Nats will do their best to re-sign Harper, Heyman suggests.
- There isn’t much optimism around baseball that the Marlins will be able to extend star catcher J.T. Realmuto, reports Heyman, who writes that he “apparently remains a target” of the NL East rival Braves. Atlanta extended catcher Tyler Flowers earlier this week, but only for a guaranteed $6MM over two years. Realmuto is also controllable for the next two seasons, and given that the Marlins won’t contend during that span, it seems like a strong bet that they’ll trade the 27-year-old if they’re unable to extend him.
- Twins icon and pending free agent Joe Mauer is uninterested in playing elsewhere, per Heyman, who adds that it’s believed Minnesota would welcome the first baseman back in 2019. The question is whether the St. Paul native will choose to play next year, which would be his age-36 season. Mauer’s now in the final weeks of the franchise-record eight-year, $184MM extension he signed as a superstar catcher in 2010. The deal hasn’t quite worked out as hoped, though, thanks in part to injuries and a decline in production. Mauer has posted league-average offensive numbers over 444 PAs this year, with a .278/.350/.379 line (99 wRC+).
- The Brewers finished second to the NL Central rival Cardinals in the race to sign then-free agent Miles Mikolas last winter, Heyman reports. A former Ranger and Padre, Mikolas returned stateside after a couple seasons in Japan, joining the Cardinals on a two-year, $15.5MM guarantee. That contract has been a steal for St. Louis, which has seen the 30-year-old Mikolas turn in 167 innings of 2.96 ERA/3.43 FIP ball this season.
Braves should most definitely go get Rt this offseason. Wish we already had him. Curious what it would take to get him… I’m sure a decent haul..
Probably somewhere along the lines of 2 or 3 of Wright, Anderson, Pache and Contreras then a few other lottery tickets. That’s assuming they don’t demand Acuna again. Just as the Marlins are going to trade him because he won’t agree to an extension the same goes for Atlanta. They should not trade for him unless they think they can extend him, otherwise it’s just not worth it. It would be better to just go sign McCann for 1 year to platoon with Flowers, work with the young pitchers and bridge the gap until Contreras is ready.
Offer the marlins pitching.
Allard Anderson Muller plus Dustin Peterson and Freddy Tarnok.
Try to get the marlins to part with realmuto and some relief pitcher like barraclough steckenreider or conley.
2 years of Realmuto plus a QO.
Soroka, Wright, Anderson and two more from the top 20 is what the Marlins will ask if you go that route.
You realize that would a much richer package than what the Marlins got for 3 years of Yelich?
I’m sure they asked for the same thing in every other trade and look at how they turned out. The package for Yelich isn’t looking great (small sample size alert), but it’s a classic example of MIA overplaying their hand. It seems like they don’t know how not to kill the value of their players and get a substantial return.
Maybe Jeter should hire John Coppolella as his “gardener” and teach him how to win trades (and burn bridges).
If the thought of extended JTR is a must for the Braves then they are better off waiting until after 2020 and signing him in free agency.
Not if they win the division this year and are struggling to fit top prospects on their 40-man. Select the best and trade the rest to improve your team. Not worth letting another 2 presumed contending years for a catcher when they have most of pieces now to compete and win at a high level. Also, I’d be surprised if William Contreras isn’t ready by the end of 2019 with how he’s progressed.
But Jon429 said that a JTR-to-Braves trade only makes sense if they can extend him. If you are trying to contend now that shouldn’t matter.
Sure it doesn’t matter if you just want to win now and don’t care if the team has to go through another rebuild in a few years because the GM pissed away the farm for rental players. Also I’d be shocked if the Marlins didn’t demand Contreras in the deal, which would leave Atlanta without a catcher in 2 years.
My point is. If getting JTR signed long-term is a must for you, then don’t trade for him.
Dodgers shouldn’t even attempt to sign Machado even though he probably doesn’t want to stay, I’d bring back Dozier at 2nd, got Saeger and Turner back next year so the infield is good plus Frees to share time at 1st and 3rd. Dodgers need to figure out their outfield situation and what Kershaw is going to do and it’s time to start working on that bullpen.
I dont think we are out of the running. The article linked was before he came to la. If dodgers shell out which i think they will he will stay and give them versatility and flexibility in the infield.
I see the chances that LA signs Machado to be approximately 0%. He will command a contract at least twice as long and 2-3 times larger than anything this FO has ever signed. They aren’t going to break all their rules just so they can realign the infield around him. I do suspect they will go after Dozier, who’d be far less costly and who actually fills a need.
Correction for machado should be he’ll play 3b for anyone willing to pay him enough/the most money and that goes for most MLB players as well. Anyone who thinks a player won’t change positions for bigger dollars isn’t capable of dealing with reality.
…You got it….besides, as a 3B, he has to appeal to those 5 or 6 teams that can afford him, understanding that if they wait a year, they can have Arenado, whose just a better player……As a SS, his competition is Aeidny Hechaveria……
I agree completely
You’re probably right, but your mind-reading skills are most impressive…
Defense at 1st is actually a really big deal and goes fairly unnoticed in general. I’m not sure how good defensively Andujar could be at first base. Maybe use Didi as a trade chip if the Yankees get Machado, because I doubt they move Andujar given his potential is higher than Didi’s and he’s controllable for the next 5 years.
“Defense at 1st is actually a really big deal . . . “
Silliness. Saying something is true doesn’t make it true. Got any support for your assertion?
If you have a first baseman that can’t field or scoop you get less outs. It is a big deal.
“If you have a first baseman that can’t field or scoop you get less outs.”
That’s a talking point, not a statement of fact. There are ways of measuring the impact of good vs bad fielding first basemen. There are people who have actually studied the question. You obviously aren’t one of them. Forgive me for giving your completely unsourced, unsupported statement the negligible value it deserves.
“It is a big deal.”
No, it isn’t. You’d know this had you bothered doing the homework.
Jose Martinez, Paul Goldschmidt. It’s all about the same, right?
You make zero sense. Bad defense at 1b can cost you runs the same as an error by a player at any other position. 1b is generally reserved for the LEAST athletic player but in reality any error that allow potential runs is a bad thing.
To further my point, you CAN win with a zero range but solid handed 1b but you add more likelihood if you have a gold glove at 1b a la Keith Hernandez who also had great range, great ability to dig out bad throws and had soft hands too.
Yes, you are correct, but you are arguing with an obtuse narcissist. Logic never registers.
“To further my point . . . “
You haven’t responded to what I wrote at all. I’m not interested in your opinion of the value of a good vs a bad first baseman, I’m not interested in anyone’s opinion. If you don’t have any statistical support for your position just say so and move on. Repeating it, with more “anecdotal” type evidence, accomplished nothing. Either prove your point or give it up.
Jose Martinez
Silliness.
Saying something is UNtrue doesnt make it untrue. Got any support for YOUR assertion?
“Got any support for YOUR assertion?”
Sure, loads. But I’m not gonna waste my time posting it here as a response. Had the original or even a subsequent poster provided any support for their claim I’d have posted what I got as a response. But an unsourced “opinion” with zero backup doesn’t deserve more than a similarly unsourced opinion in response. The result is a “tie”—which is fine with me under the circumstances.
Similarly, when you have posted zero evidence yourself, and only joined this discussion to take a shot at me, you have no standing to demand anything. You can be lazy and just pull stuff out of your butt but I should respond with an appropriately footnoted statistical argument? Sorry, no. If someone puts some effort into their comment I’ll put some effort into my response. Not good enough for ya? Too gosh darn bad.
Actually, I agree. Advanced metrics and the eye test/scouts opinions frequently don’t align on 1B. I’m in Atlanta. I watched Andrelton Simmons make highlight reel play after another dealing across the diamond to Freddie Freeman, someone who has traditionally been significantly undervalued defensively, especially earlier in his career. I don’t see the same plays with him throwing to Pujols or anyone else in Anaheim.
A good scoop pick and stretch first baseman is the difference between his infield airing it out on a Hail Mary and often getting the out, and the fielder putting the ball in his pocket.
Specifically to the point, Freddie Freeman is a -4.6 dWAR player, per Baseball Reference. Miguel Cabrera, over that span, has defended to -5.2 dWAR.
I’m sorry, but there’s absolutely no conceivable way that Freddie Freeman is approximately 0.1 dWAR better then Miguel Cabrera. Never.
“I’m sorry, but there’s absolutely no conceivable way that Freddie Freeman is approximately 0.1 dWAR better than Miguel Cabrera.”
You may be arguing that 1. Whoever calculates dWAR messed up and produced numbers that are mistaken, or 2. Freeman is obviously a much better defensive first baseman therefore he must be more than just 0.1 wins better than Cabrera.
I’m gonna assume you were arguing the latter, which raises a larger point, does dWAR really measure defensive prowess? Or, what does dWAR actually measure anyway. That is something you’d have to take up with the source of the stat himself.
But I would suggest that you have unintentionally made my point for me. Freeman *is* obviously much better defensively than Cabrera, we aren’t disagreeing about that. But defensive WAR says that the impact of that difference on actual games has been a tenth of a win. You can say that dWAR is an imperfect—or even bad—measure of a player’s production but you’d be arguing with the folks that compile dWAR, not me.
“A good scoop pick and stretch first baseman is the difference . . . “
Yeah, I get that, I watch baseball. But how many times does a good first baseman catch a throw which a lesser fielder would have missed? That isn’t a rhetorical question, part of dWAR is trying to calculate exactly that. You might think that those scooping, picking and stretching skills should have a greater impact on actual games but once again you’d be arguing with the stat makers, not me.
“Advanced metrics and the eye test/scouts opinions frequently don’t align on 1B.”
They aren’t measuring the same thing though. Scouts opinions have to do with potential, how good are this player’s skills. dWAR is at least supposed to measure the actual impact that a player had defensively, without regard to skill, either a play is made or it isn’t. Look at it this way, Player A is the fastest player in baseball, scouts, players and the eye test all agree. But Player A is a catcher so his phenomenal speed will have almost zero impact defensively. How would you rate him?
I believe at this point it’s up to you to state why you think dWAR does a bad job viz Freeman and Cabrera. What information did dWAR fail to take into account? What does it over/under value? Do the IFers who play with Cabrera have many more throwing errors than those who play with Freeman? Those are the sort of questions you should be addressing rather than joining the gang pillorying me for pointing out that defensive metrics do not support the conclusion that the defensive capabilities of first basemen have a large impact on actual games. You may not like that conclusion but you do recognize that it is what the numbers say—which was my point originally.
No, I don’t agree. I think first base defense is critical. I watched the years preceding Freeman in Atlanta. Scott Thorman, Old Troy Glaus, old Derek Lee, Casey Kotchman…. im sorry. Those guys sucked, and defense around the horn improves at the bag recording 1/3 of your 27 outs.
And yeah, I don’t agree with the metrics. Metrics at 1B and C are wildly inaccurate. I merely brought those stats up because you said you wanted things backed with stats. I’m illustrating stats can’t back it up because of the nature of the stats. Therefore, see all the above debates.
You can’t check out because there are no stats and say “the stats don’t apply” in the same breath with a straight face, can you?
Machado is a selfish ball player and with his attitude I hope the YANKEES do get him he sucks and glad the Orioles got rid of him. It’s all about Manny and what he wants not what is good for the team. He came into the season saying he is a shortstop not what was good for the team.
In no realm does he suck. He may be overrated and will likely be overpaid. He is not bad at playing baseball. It is not uncommon for a player to express their desire to play at a certain position. I think him saying that he wanted to play shortstop at the beginning of this year was in order to showcase himself at the position and show that he can still handle it, to make himself more valuable in free agency. It’s not like he was blocking any amazing shortstop options on the Orioles or on the Dogers
Frankly, I find him refreshingly honest. He’s open about what’s important to him– playing shortstop, signing a lucrative contract.
The question is, does he care if he goes to a winning team or not? His desire to go to. the Yankees says he does care: he wants a big contract and a chance to win, and few teams can offer both long term. The Yankees are one of them.
The Phillies can afford him, and are just entering their window of contention. They have a few options at SS but maybe they can move Crawford for something else or move Manny to 3rd if Franco comes back next year and forgets how to hit again.
So the guy who was a SS his entire career but was needed at 3b and had agreed to do so at a high level his entire Baltimore career until this season who was then traded to the Dodgers and has moved back and forth from SS/3B as needed is selfish?
Dude, you’re going to play at the position next to your name on the line up card.
this aint little league man, calm down
A right handed hitter who plays third and short (but prefers short) is the last thing the Yankees need. They’re covered on the left side of the infield, and their lineup is righty heavy already…with all their righties committed, long term.
A platoon disadvantage is a weakness. You have to give your manager the ability to address it, you can’t just have a team with seven of the best nine hitters be righties. What the Yankees need is a lefty or switch hitting first baseman. Both are available, at the fraction of Machado’s cost. And then they can turn the big money they have to spend, to fill the real need: pitching. Both starters and relievers.
By the way, we’re talking about a player who nagged the Orioles into starting the season with two infielders out of position, just to make him happy, personally. Why would the Yankees bring that attitude into a clubhouse that’s currently filled with players willing to do everything in their power to win?
stansfield123, I agree. Machado just doesn’t make much sense for the Yankees. It would pretty much just be making a splash just for the sake of it to ‘win’ the offseason. Machado is far from a need. They need a 1B and starting pitching, not a 3B/SS. Dumping all that money into a position where there’s little need rather then addressing the real issues like the rotation would be a mistake. When the team is healthy they already have plenty of bats anyway.
If the Yankees are smart they focus on nothing but SP and let Harper and Machado sign elsewhere. Even when they have Judge, Didi, and Sanchez out with injury their offense isnt the reason they lose games. They could benefit from shoring up the bullpen too (in the offseason, for now theyre fine) as Britton is a FA after the year as is Robertson, Kahnle is still a question mark, Chapman has injury concerns, and Holder isnt the most reliable option (although not too bad)
When did Machado ever say he prefers the Yankees? I think this is just pure speculation or made up news.
Though I am not in favor of the Yankees signing him, it has been widely reported for some time now.
Andujar will not get moved. No way that’s happening. The Yanks have 5 untouchables on the big league roster. Torres, Judge, Sanchez, Andujar and Severino. I could c him move across the diamond to first. He couldn’t b a worse fielder then Miggy has been there or Pujols was. Or he can DH. If they sign Machado they won’t move DiDi or Andujar they will just figure out if Andujar can play first or DH him.
Andujar actually isn’t any good, I hate to break it to you. He’s not an elite talent and very touchable in trade talks, in fact it would be imperative for the Yankees to trade him asap because his value won’t get any higher than this. He stinks at defense and doesn’t take walks. These are all warning signs that say, Torres does not have.
I have to agree with you on Andujar. He can’t play multiple positions like Torres can, and he would be atrocious defensively at first. He couldn’t just DH either because of Stanton. He is definitely not untouchable.
Lol
If the Yankees get Machado, it’s quite possible they will be paying more in salary to two players than a team or two will be paying their entire roster.
Machado at 3rd andujar at 1st. I dont see how its hard for the yankees.
Realmuto & Prado for Allard, Pache, Jackson & 2 lower prospects not in Top 30 who hangs up 1st or is it a fair deal ?
JT/Prado: Allard, Riley, Jackson, Ian Anderson, and Mueller.
Pache will replace Ender soon.
Braves will sign Machado to play 3rd, so Riley is expendable.
They yankees have no need for machado, they already have a young infield in tact, I hope the phillies outbid the yankees for him. Let the yankees waste their money on Harper.
Thinking about the Harper Market.
Astros: Very doubtful this is happening. Tucker in left, possibly more at bats to Tyler White to DH, or someone. Don’t see a fit.
Angels: Unless they don’t want to give regular at bats to Calhoun next season, Harper has no fit.
Athletics: Oakland actually spending 250+ is unthinkable.
Mariners: That’s about a 1% chance.
Rangers: Definitely not.
Indians: I think we know why not.
Twins: I’d be very shocked if this happened. They are more aggressive on the market, but it’s still not a great fit. Well, maybe for the price.
Royals/White Sox/Tigers: …
Red Sox: Betts, Benintendi, Bradley Jr, Martinez… Unless they trade Bradley Jr, which is always a possibility but not likely
Yankees: Is there enough at bats? Really doubt it.
Rays/Jays/Orioles: Yeah, no.
Dodgers: This seems like a real possibility for me. Take over right, Taylor in center. Who knows, but this seems like a great possibility.
Giants: Their plan of giving Slater, Duggar, etc more at bats probably crosses them off the list, but I doubt you can count them out.
Rockies: Well. Very low chance but there is a spot for him.
Diamondbacks: That’s definitely not happening.
Padres: It’d be a better signing than Hosmer, I can say that. Still, no.
Cubs: Heyward, Almora, Happ, Zobrist. I doubt there’s enough at bats around, unless of course there is a trade of Schwarber or Happ. This is also a serious contender though.
Cardinals: Definitely not enough at bats.
Brewers:Same thing.
Reds/Pirates: uh, no.
Nationals: They’re definitely going to try. But with Soto, Robles, and Eaton, who knows if it’s better if they let Harper go. Especially since they have other needs to fill.
Mets: HAHAHA
Marlins: Lol.
Phillies: Watch out for Philly. I see them as the Machado winners possibly, but they could also use another outfielder. So this is real.
Braves: I’d be surprised, but not completely.
If you’re close to signing Harper you move just about anyone else in mlb to do so.
^this. For instance, my favorite team, the cardinals. IF they had chance to sign Harper, they’d pass because they have Ozuna, Bader, Fowler, Martinez and O’Neill? Who of those would start over Harper? Maybe bader but O’Neill, Ozuna or Martinez could be traded, or Fowler could be cut in order to make room. Same as most other teams, if you’re in market for Harper, you’d make room.
I know Rizzo and ownership really want to retain Harper, but the cost will be enormous, and they haven’t won anything with him to this point. Bottom line is they don’t need an OF, but they DO have needs at SP, C, and 2B which need to be addressed this winter. Move on WAS.
Giants if they can trade samardjza to clear money. Maybe trade heliot ramos to clear samardjza. Harper duggar slater.
Mariners could sign harper. Cruz is a FA i think. Move cano to DH. Gordon at 2B.
Dodgers would have to move some ofs. Puig verdugo could bring back some pitching help.
Why do you place importance on “fits”? Plenty of teams have shoehorned players into other positions to bring in a tested veteran before. According to your method, the Phillies would not have been a “fit” for Santana, because Hoskins looked really good at 1B the year before, but that’s what happened, so why bother making a list based off that?
Every team wants Harper. Every. Team. Even the rebuilding ones, because he’s an elite talent you build around. Can they afford him and does he want to play there? Only questions you really need to ask here.
JTO: Santana is still NOT a fit in Philly. Most Phillies fans and MLB Network pundits are still scratching their heads wondering why Klentak gave three years and $60 million to a 1B-only guy already in his 30s when we already had Hoskins. Plus the guy has been hitting in the .220s most of the year.
Mets:HAHAHA…..that’s funny
The Padres, had they not signed Hosmer, could easily have offered Harper the same money – less years, obviously, but lets say 5/160 to Harper with maybe an opt-out after year 4. Instead, they spent that money on a first baseman with a 387 slugging percentage. Sigh.
If Machado gets a chance I’d go for the Red Sox, they will pay, back in AL East, familiar parks/pitchers and can play ping pong with the Green Monster.
Machado doesn’t like Boston, which is probably part of his reasoning for wanting to be a Yankee.
Andujar actually is super meh (horrible defense, 1.7/2.3 b/fWAR, doesnt walk enough, has a pretty high BABIP that will bring his BA down in future seasons) and the Yankees should trade him for peak return and sign Machado.
He’s young and he’s a rookie. He has plenty of time to develop further.. Someday he might even be an adequate fielder at third base.
If Cashman misses out on Machado, maybe Miguel Sano??? Could replace Bird and spell Andujar at 3rd on occasion.
Even with the down year sano is having the prospects the twins would want for him would be a lot. Josh Donaldson would make more sense in free agency than trading for a rebound player.
And Donaldson could be had on a one year deal to rebuild his stock.
For the record I think the Yankees can’t say no to both Machado and Harper. At the end of the day, this is what the Yankees always do (to the tune of 1 title since 2001, so it doesn’t even work well, smh).
Stanton to 1B/DH. Andujar traded. Harper-Hicks-Judge OF Machado-Gregorius-Torres-Stanton-Sanchez INF. Ridiculous team.
What’s the payroll gonna be with that scenario?
You’re an idiot
Translation: “Wahhh, I hate the Yankees, wahhh!!!!!”
If the Yankees stay under the cap which I think they’ll accomplished, then I think Machado is good as gone to the Yankees as his relatives have already pushed him towards the Yankees. However, the Yankees need to address their pitching staff and coaching situations!
If the Yankees don’t win a round in the playoffs this year, it is 100% Steinbrenner’s fault. This whole “reset the cap” stuff is complete nonsense. The Yankees YES network brings in close to $1B in revenue per year, so the only reason they stayed under the cap this year is pure greed.
The good news is that if they do not win a series in 2018 (which looks quite probable right now), they will overspend this off season and in true Yankees form, they will spend their money on the wrong assets. It’s all but guaranteed the Yankees will overpay for either Machado or Harper…giving them the top 2 paid position players in all of baseball. Why did they trade decent prospects for Stanton and his $30M+ contract when they could have signed JD Martinez for less money and not lose those prospects? They have made terrible in season trades recently (none worse than Sonny Gray last year). They are starting to burn through their prospect capital and have very little to show for it.
Cashman needs to grow a pair and tell Hank NOT to spend his money on either Machado or Harper. They need to focus on their pitching exclusively. A one year deal for Donaldson makes sense but that isn’t sexy enough for the Yankees. They will overspend this offseason, in the wrong places, and watch Boston win their 4th straight AL East title. It’s almost a given the Yankees or Dodgers will commit over $500M in FA contracts this off season, only to end up in the same spot they are today.
Gotta love it, especially if you are a Sox fan, Cardinals Fan, Cubs fan, Indiana fan, etc…
While much of your musings may be correct, I still find it funny the irony of the commentary from an “entitled” big market. Replace Yankees in story with Red Sox if standings were different.
Red Sox may be more analytic before even the yankees, they still spend their way out of an issue.
After seeing what Mikolos is doing this year, a year or two in Japan would be a good idea for a lot of struggling pitchers.
Whatever Machado and Harper get this winter the team spending all that cheese is gonna be disappointed. Both are excellent players, but neither one is ever gonna be Mike Trout..
Frankly, I hope Philly saves its money for when Trout is a FA.
Never understood all the b*tching Yankee fans do Most fans would kill to have their hometown team in contention every year. You guys have been spoiled. If I’m Cashman, I’m spending money on starting pitching and finding a 1B who can at least hit .270.
The more I think about it the more I really don’t think a Realmuto deal will happen
I think a Salvador Perez deal is more attainable maybe a Anderson, Fuller & Ynoa
Really though AA was gonna shock the world and get Posey but with that injury I don’t think that’s a possibility now
I agree about going after Arenado over Machado. I think the Dodgers will definitely be in on Arenado, and he likely would be intrigued by playing near home.
Machado to 3rd, Andujar to 1st
I think something a lot of people may be forgetting is Bryce Harper picking up a first baseman’s glove during this season and wanting some reps there. That could be an attractive option for the Yankees given that the Greg Bird project seems to be going no where. Plus he would add the much needed left handed bat and given the short porch in right field, he could do some damage for sure. That said, I’m not 100% sure I’d want him on the team given his questionable attitude. However, players today are different and so that may just be an old school mentality on my part. It should get interesting for sure especially given that Bryce was a Yankees fan growing up.