The Yankees baseball operations and scouting departments are “lukewarm” on free agent Manny Machado, per Andy Martino of SNY.tv. Brian Cashman has not been shy about his pursuit of Machado in the past, but the third-baseman-turned-shortstop’s antics during this postseason may have slowed what otherwise could have been a more aggressive pursuit of the infielder in free agency. This isn’t to say the Yankees won’t end up signing Machado, but the questioning of Machado’s hustle and baseball ethic certainly allow the Yankees, as well as other teams, to take a more understandably patient approach in regards to his free agency. Martino adds (via Twitter) that the biggest variable still in play is the Steinbrenner family and whether or not Boston’s World Series win will prompt an aggressive mandate in regards to either Machado or fellow free agent stud Bryce Harper.
But that’s not all that’s happening in the AL East…
- The Yankees have a $12.5MM option on Brett Gardner with a $2MM buyout for next season. Gardner, the longest-tenured Yankee, expressed an interest in coming back, but it remains to be seen if there will be a room in a crowded Yankee outfield that includes holdovers Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes that Brian Cashman and his lieutenants have held three days of scouting meetings to craft their strategy heading into the offseason, with starting pitching figuring to be the priority. Regarding Gardner, the team could buyout his contract and look to bring him back at a discounted rate, but whether the 35-year-old outfielder would be amenable to such an arrangement is unclear. In 2018, Gardner appeared in 140 games, slashing .236/.322/.368 (2.8 rWAR).
- Not that this would be a surprise, but Boston’s Eduardo Nunez is likely to pick up his $5MM option for next season, per Fancred’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Despite his occasional postseason heroics, it was a tough season for Nunez, who slashed only .256/.289/.388 during the regular season. The .321/.353/.539 Nunez hit in 38 games in 2017 after being acquired midseason feels like a distant memory, but he can still provide some value off the bench as a versatile infielder and right-handed compliment to young stud Rafael Devers.
- As you ready yourself to dive into baseball’s transaction season, take a minute to read this piece from the Athletic’s Tim Britton about the Red Sox staffer charged with ushering the young players of Boston’s minor league system through each step of their development. Raquel Ferreira is one of the highest ranking women in Major League Baseball and one of the unsung heroes of Boston’s stellar development team. Her title is vice president of major-league and minor-league operations, but that hardly describes the impact she’s had in the twenty years since she joined the Red Sox as an administrative assistant. Ferreira handles everything from managing the logistics of player family travel to walking new players through the basics of minor-league orientation, as she did with Xander Bogaerts when he first signed out of Aruba and thought he had to spend an entire year at each minor-league level.
Sadly, Machado’s effort might fit in with the Yankees since they already employ Stanton and Sanchez.
Sanchez I absolutely agree with, but Stanton has never had the reputation of dogging it out on the field. He just strikes out a ton. He generally always runs hard to 1B on ground balls.
Maybe not a great comp, but I think he does take some AB’s off once in a while.
I guess we can consider Betts to be a lazy player also based on your standards of couple lazy plays mean the player is horrible.. Cause one one play in the WS he grounded back to the pitcher and walked 5 steps and then turned back to the dugout before he was even thrown out.
Nonsense.
Machado played on a losing team for years. Pundits, writers, and statistical heads looked at the stats, watched the highlights, and proclaimed him a superstar.
I’ve watched my favorite teams play the Orioles the past 3-4 years. He jackes it…..a lot; and is disinterested in games unless he’s batting.
Now he wants to play SS. I watched him this year. He’s awful at it. Limited range. Multiple times I saw him take routes to ground balls like an OF – instead of moving laterally or taking a direct angle to the ball, he circles behind, picks it up with his glove, reaches in the glove on the run, and throws to 1B. Breathtaking! What athleticism!! The problem was that at least 3 times I saw him do this and turn what should have been routine ground ball outs into infield singles.
This kids arrogance and ego are so out of control, that the chances of him taking instruction from a manager making 15% of his salary, or listening to a coach making 3% off his salary, is not good. The real world way these things play out is for him to complain to his agent, who in turn complains to the GM, President, or owner, and threaten them with a trade request unless those pesky instructors get off his azz.
You obviously interpreted that wrong if you think Betts fits in that category.
And you’re the one who grouped Stanton with Machado and Sanchez because he dogs it acouple times the whole year.
Tough time to be a Yankee fan, Sox 04-07-13 and 2018!!!!
Actually, the losing team that you’re referring to led the AL in wins from 2012-2016.
Yeah, but this will be it for awhile. It’s not the first 18 years of a century the Red Sox have trouble with LOL.
Congrats on a stellar season!
If you look at Mookie Betts and then Giancarlo Stanton and come to that conclusion I don’t know what to tell you.
…..And he Spiked 1st Basemen 3 times in the Postseason,what a Goofball! Or lack of focus?
You guys are having a good run. But stay away from counting ‘ships please. I know winning more than one title in 70 years is still new to you but please conduct yourself with decorum and act like you belong in the club.
@RedSoxFan
Hilarious to see you become the obnoxious Yankee fan. Well, if you want to tout your many titles, Yankee fans will do the same. 28 of them, in fact,
Even funnier, why are you poking at Yankee fans? Your team just won the world series, beat the best team in the NL. What do the Yankees and their fans have to do with that? You should be saying “Suck it Dodger fans!” or “So long World Champion Astros!” The Yankees are just one of 29 other teams you beat to get to the top of the mountain.
Red Sox fans obviously don’t know how to be sports fans. Did 86 years of failure fry their collective brains up in Boston?
It’s not about the total championships unless you were around listening to Mel Allen (or whomever was on the radio then if there were radio broadcasts then…) describe Ruth, et al. earn those rings (if rings were given then…). That said, I agree with enjoying the trophy but not being arrogant about it. I try to remember 12, 14 and 15 along with 13 and now 18. Balance in life goes along way…
Samuel – Machado played on a losing team for years? His teams were .500 and above with 3 playoff appearances his first 5 seasons. I wouldn’t exactly call that 2000’s Pirates or Royals….or O’s.
If you think Red Sox fans are obnoxious try listening to a cubs fan. Arguably the most arrogant fans these days.
Ok, fine. I remember 1980, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009– and appearances in 4 other series.
Not sure why what the fan remembers matters to which team’s history is better. Yes, the Red Sox over the past 14 years have 4 championships. Great team history. But it’s also important to remember that objectively they built their teams the same way the Yankees did in the 90s/00s, and are now acting just as obnoxiously as the worst Yankee fans at the height of their success.
They’ve become everything they used to hate and the irony is delicious.
Please don’t paint all Sox fans with the same brush. After choking in 2011 and last place finishes in 12, 14 and 15 I chose to enjoy the moment and it’s that pain that makes this year so sweet. The same pain however makes me temper my outward expressions.
Any championships?
As a Sox fan even I know the Yankees have 27 World Series Titles. I’ll give you some free advice, google your own team before you go touting how many they’ve won.
Agreed. Goat has been onto Stanton since he started badly with the Yanks, but as remember, wasn’t so negative when they 1st acquired him for nothing but 25m aav. A nice price for a top slugger considering what Stanton had been putting up year after year and still did in 2018.
Torres has also relished falling asleep on the job at times.
Yes….
For a few months I thought he might be another Jeter.
Derek never did that – especially as a rookie trying to establish himself.
He started going downhill after he got homer happy.
At least Torres has a personality and seems to enjoy playing baseball.
Stanton? Study the game. Great season for year #1 in NY. Monster numbers this coming year
300 strikeouts? Seriously, his contract will become an albatross when big money is owed to their young studs.
Raquel Ferreira has been with the Red Sox for the last 4 World Series titles. Held various positions within the organization. This is a person with a resume for future GM. She’s part of a winning culture, has helped build champions and knows what it takes to win.
A “future GM”?
Really.
lol
Do you know that all major league teams have women and volunteers that help new players and families find housing in the sort of communities they want to live in, schools, doctors, dentists, hospitals, and even baby sitters for the children? Teams also have English classes for those that don’t speak it, classes on how to avoid hangers on that want to take the players money, and classes – using cameras and playback to rehearse players – on how to act humble and speak in Clichés when interviewed.
Those people are great fans, house mothers and nothing more.
“Those people are great fans, house mothers and nothing more.” Regardless if Ferreira is actually deserving of a GM position, I feel like this attitude is holding women back from advancement in sports organizations.
Kid;
She has no experience in scouting, negotiating, managing people, developing players, working with managers, the media, or even with the deified analytic departments.
She is not “being held back from a GM position” because she’s a woman, she’s being “held back” because she has no more experience to be GM then you or I do.
When you’re deathly ill and laying on a hospital bed, may your doctor be a minority that spent 4 years booking patient appointments and directing patients visiting relatives to their rooms.
By the way, I have a friend that did that job for a major league team for 5-6 years. I’m going to call her up and suggest she apply for a GM opening. That’ll get a laugh out of her.
I generally don’t even bother responding to the comments on this site, since most are worthless speculation and mindless drivel. Once in a while, though, I see a comment that deserves a slapdown, especially those of retrograde neanderthals..
Your comments are those of a powerless, impotent coward and pitiful moron.. Just because we have same in a U. S. president who demonstrates his incivility, his inclinations to hate and disrespect, that doesn’t mean demeaning speech and behavior are acceptable. Your putdown of others is testimony to your sub-humanity, and indicates you are one very sick individual. I would suggest getting help with your problem before my daughter finds you and kicks your sniveling, shriveled butt!
Quote “I generally don’t even bother responding to the comments on this site, since most are worthless speculation and mindless drivel. Once in a while, though, I see a comment that deserves a slapdown, especially those of retrograde neanderthals..”
“Your comments are those of a powerless, impotent coward and pitiful moron.. Just because we have same in a U. S. president who demonstrates his incivility, his inclinations to hate and disrespect, that doesn’t mean demeaning speech and behavior are acceptable.”
You should not have bothered to comment on this site as this site is a baseball site and it has nothing to do with politics, yet you found a way to talk about the President of the USA.
Do keep it that way and don’t bother commenting here in future unless your comments relate to baseball, because for your edification the President of the USA has nothing to do with this.
88winespodiodie;
Assuming your comments are to me, please allow me to address them……
I’m tired of the victim mentality in this country. My wife and I grew up poor. We worked our way through college. We helped our children with college, but they had to pay half. Our grandchildren are being raised to be self-sufficient. Not to make excuses, but to learn from their mistakes.
There are 2 simpleton posts above saying that a person should be given a high position which dozens of applicants spent well over a decade learning about and earning the credentials for, just to get an interview. But instead the job should go to a “victim” – in this case a woman – that has developed no pertinent credentials. We need to put her at the front of the line, and “if there is collateral damage” to those that sacrificed and worked for the opportunity, “then so be it”.
I almost died 12 years ago due to incompetent doctors that had no business working in a hospital. By no means was my experience unique. I was one of the 5% that were fortunate. I have deep feelings about putting people in responsible positions because we want to be “fair”. What’s wrong with people EARNING their position?
Little Sammy’s tired of the victim mentality yet has no problem being the perp. Ok there…
Oh geeze – typical snarky response from yet another NCP.
You don’t know me. Please explain how I’m a “perp”.
Since I’m a minority, I guess I should call you a racist.
lol
For all the talk about Kim Ng, who won nothing except backing into a job with the late-90’s Yankees, at least Ferreira has been with a winning organization.
Take a better look at her career. I see your incompetent response to the next guy. Her experience and the success her departments have had merit GM consideration. Just because you haven’t seen her with a clipboard, stopwatch and a hat pulled down to cover her eyes doesn’t mean she can’t hack it as a GM.
You probably thought DePodesta and Ricciardi were great hires. Even if you say no, I’ll claim you lie. But I wouldn’t be alone in thinking that.
lol
Why do NCP’S like you on here constantly attribute actions and comments to me that I never took and never made? To others as well.
The neighborhood is being run down.
Brett Gardner is 35. I am a stickler for ages, and also, he is slightly older than I am, so I like the idea of these guys playing for as long as possible. I really don’t want Gardner to say, “This is a young man’s game, and I feel like a grandfather out there. The time to retire is now.”
Right you are!
In what universe does this comment attract 4 downvotes?
A humble proposal to the people who run this incredible site: get rid of the comment upvotes/downvotes.
Or just develop a thicker skin and post for the sake of discussion, rather than worrying about approval or disapproval.
Probably a millennial.
Lol my feelings are hurt!
Wahhhhhh
This site is covered with Yankee fans and anytime someone writes any about that team they downvote unless it’s about acquiring Machado and/or Harper.
You gotta love conspiracists.
“This site is covered with Yankee fans and anytime someone writes any about that team they downvote unless it’s about acquiring Machado and/or Harper.”
That’s why my post about Yankees signing Harper to send a message to the world champion rival Red Sox got 20 down-votes. Try again.
I’m a Yanks fan and we all are subject to down votes. Yours came because you think the Yanks would overpay just to send a message to someone. not how they work.
I only down vote Eileen
No, people just love to downvote.
Xabial, you post so much on this site anything you write gets 20 down-votes.
As if SNY knows anything about what the Yankees are doing. I think it’s unlikely they go after Machado.
Yea, I was thinking the exact same thing.
The Yankees reacted hard in 2014 after the Sox won in 2013 and ended up with the great contracts of Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann
I expect them to spend this year but with the lesson learned from 2014. I just don’t see them going after Machado, or Harper for that matter. Spend big on pitching and a short term Didi replacement like Murphy.
Daniel Murphy?! He’s a terrible defender in decline. Machado or Harper is going to likely be signed.
Thats why it would be short term. Harper or Machado would he 350+M in the wrong direction. They need pitching, why does everyone think they need even MORE offense??
Speaking on offense the Yanks absolutely could use a lefty batting LF and Harper makes sense. If the tag is too high then Michael Brantley would probably look pretty decent in LF too. Not a great defender but I like his contact hitting skills.
Yankees scored the second most average runs per game last season. Their offense is fine. Regardless of what anyone says about too many RH hitters this or not enough LH hitters that their offense is clearly not the problem.
murphy should not be playing 2B everyday at this point in his career. if you wanna sign him to play 1B that’s different
People forget you need players like Brantley who come to play everyday. And does not need to be center stage.
Brantley who spends most of the time on the DL, no thank you.
What about NY trading for Tulo? Hes should be healthy to start the year, maybe a change of scenery for him? They could get decent production from him until Didi comes back.
You think the Ellsbury contract is bad…..? wait til that spoiled Whopper™ of a contract to Harper gets signed.
There is a HUGE difference between Ellsbury and McCann compared to Harper and Machado.
my point is that its just not a good idea to try and build your team through free agency. big contracts go bad more often than not.
Both teams in the World Series had plenty of big free agents, and happened to have the two biggest payrolls in the game. Free agency absolutely works. It works best when its supplemented by great farm systems and good trades, but to say building a team with free agency is a bad idea is just plain wrong.
Building?
They won 100 games prior to these speculative adds. Judge, Sanchez, Torres, Andujar, Bird, Gardner, Severino, Betances were built from the farm system.
Voit, Hicks, Didi, Stanton were products of trades.
Sheffield, Loaisagna, Frazier, Tarpley, German are all guys who could make an impact from the farm this season.
Tanaka is a FA contract who has worked.
The team is built, this is the supplementing stage with the roughly $70 million coming off the books couples with the fact they can increase payroll by about 30-50 million since they reset the tax, a goal they set five years ago.
They worked towards the financial flexibility to commit to long-term deals to supplement a cheap core of young players and now they’ve earned it and are in a position to execute it. This wasn’t 2014 and this isn’t building a core in FA either.
The Yanks have built the current team core thru internal options as did the dynasty team. But there is a need for free agency as well. Verlander with the Stros and JD with the Sox. Totally agree with you if speaking about majority of lineup but the Yanks did not clear the tax threshold to be idle. Corbin is a must but you cannot deny having Harper or Machado would not strike fear into opponents. Gardy is not the same player of even two seasons ago.
Gardner to the Angels for a prospect would make sense. The Angels will need a stop gap left fielder, until Adell is ready for the majors.
Don’t they have Upton in LF? With Pujols and Ohtani on the roster, the DH is locked up for the foreseeable future.
They have upton in left and calhoun in right. They don’t need Gardner.
Upton should be in Right. Calhoun is coming off back to back below average seasons. The Angels need to upgrade, over Calhoun.
Gardner posted the same if not worse numbers than kole lol. Angels wont be paying 13 million for another bum outfielder. They desperately need pitching and another “big” bat. Dont see this happening unless he is released.
Absolutely Incorrect. Calhoun wasn’t worth even 1 WAR in 2018. Gardner may not have been a superstar but he played far better than Calhoun.
2017 and 2018 combined: Calhoun – 2..8 WAR/Gardner – 7..7 WAR.
Gardner equaled Calhoun’s 2 year WAR total in a single down season this year. (Using baseball reference for numbers)
The Yankees could realistically deploy Torreyes in Didis absence so that they can focus solely on pitching. Let other teams spend too much on headcases. As good of players as they are there is no real need for the Yankees to acquire them.
Yes, Pitching, pitching, pitching., And then more pitching. They desperately need a #1 or #2 starter above all else.
Agree but there is not a true #1 available via free agency. Corbin is a fit but he is a 2-3 at best. There is a true need for a lefty bat and there is less of a logjam in the outfield than infield. Not getting Verlander was a mistake as was passing on JD. Sox didn’t “need” JD but they would not have won 108 without him. Stros never get that WS without Verlander
There are “mind games” that FO’s use every off season. Saying things that belie their true intentions. The Yankees “lukewarm” feelings may very well just be a ploy to keep the price tag down some. Letting it be known, within certain circles, that they weren’t keen on his actions and play in the post season, is/could be a smokescreen.
Of course, his agent will have a rebuttal for rumors. He’ll play up his youth and the fact that he was in an organization, the Orioles, that didn’t set a good example for him. It’s what agents do.
It’s actually just an excuse for Hal Steinbrenner to keep cashing his checks without spending anything.
I don’t know, is there anybody that thought highly of Machado’s comments and antics? Sure made me think different of him. A player that says hustle just isn’t his game likely doesn’t appeal to the majority of teams. But I suppose if you go by pure numbers alone he’ll probably get paid the same regardless. Sad because if he would try he could probably be a lot better than he is.
His attitude actually got worse after he left the Orioles. Also, the issue with the Orioles wasn’t what went on in the clubhouse, it was the front office. Lastly, it would be really petty of his agent to point fingers at the Orioles for his ego and at times immature behavior.
Yanks should go get Marwin Gonzalez. He can play all over the diamond and gives them more flexibility if/when Didi comes back.
Please, Hal, don’t go anywhere near Machado or Harper.
Re-sign Hechavarria to play SS til Didi returns. Guy is an excellent defender. They have enough offense to carry his bat.
Sign Corbin and Happ for the starting rotation. I’d also like to see Gardner back, but I don’t think he’s an every day player any more. He’d make a great part-time outfielder and defensive replacement late in games.
Gardner sucks and shouldn’t be brought back AT ALL.
Agreed
Im really baffled by fans who think Corbin and Happ are the answers to the Yankees rotation. They need a legitimate ace to pair with Severino, not innings eaters and workhorses.
Please enlighten us all as to where they are going to find this legitimate ace in free agency
They won’t. They’ll need to trade, if they will get one at all. Perhaps Corbin/Happ may be the best they can get, but it’s foolish to think they’re the answer.
Can they win a championship with them? Sure. They won 100 games with less, and only missed out on winning the division because the Red Sox wound up being a historically great team.
But their biggest issue is pitching, and I think a #1 or #2 is really what they need. Tanaka and Happ aren’t getting any better in 2019, and Severino is very much a question mark going into next season.
I think they knew this last off-season but Andujar and Frazier for Cole was over paying big time. Agree that trade is only way to get them an ace but it will be 2-3 A+ prospects.
Archer would be cost prohibitive due to years of team control remaining. Not sure Fulmer is a 1-2.
They need three starters to fill out the rotation with Severino and Tanaka. I’m baffled by people who think that just magically appears without signing people.
Corbin and Happ would be part of the solution, they would not be the entire solution. Understanding that is the first key towards understanding other people’s thinking.
Machado’s only goal in the world series was to stay healthy for his big payday. Jogging to first. Very little effort at the plate. That hit to his left in game 5 that scored a run showed he has no range at short. Contrast that with Eovaldi…. its a shame which one will be paid more.
Eovaldi had a great run but no team should be throwing a huge 3 or 4 year deal at him. Let him prove that it’s repeatable and that he can stay healthy.
Why do I feel like Harper is going to the Sox
White Sox or Red Sox?? Red Sox aren’t giving Harper the money he wants, plus they will have to sign Betts, Xander, Sale, JD again soon coming up
I meant Red Sox. I dunno, Mookie’s not a FA til ’21 and Harper would probably opt out at year 3 anyways. No real basis to my prediction.
I don’t see it. Mookie, JBJ, and Benny are all around for a while and they’re already being credited as one of the best outfields in the league. Then there’s Martinez.
There’s always the possibility that Benny is used as trade bait or there’s also the possibility that DD tries to trade JBJ while his value is inflated from the playoffs.
I won’t dismiss your theory outright, but it just seems like a lot of moving parts. Regardless, I really hope the Red Sox stay away from any big names, except maybe Lowrie for second.
There is zero chance the Yankees don’t really go after Machado or Harper. I really wanted Machado, but after his postseason dirty plays I changed my mind on him. Hope they sign Harper now.
Also YES the Yankees need pitching, but they have so much money off the books they could sign harper and couple pitchers (Corbin).
Id really like the yankees to also trade for Robbie Ray and Paul Goldschmidt if the backs decide to blow it up. Start with Andujar and many prospects on.
I’d bet they’ll trade for pitching, not sign pitching. They need a guy like DeGrom, not Corbin, and maybe with a new GM the Mets might be willing to part with him (yes, I know he’s deGrom’s agent).
OK, you’ve traded Andujar, Sheffield and more in a package to acquire Degrom. You now have no left side of the infield and still need two starters.
You said they don’t need Corbin even though they have two SP vacancies and maybe about another $100 million to spend this winter if they wanted to.
What’s your next move?
Because by my count signing Corbin (which does not stop you from pursuing Degrom) solves one problem, whereas signing Degrom has now opened an additional problem and with your strategy you still haven’t solved any.
On top of the lack of hustle, Machado kicked Aguilar’s foot(NLCS) and stepped on Pearce’s foot at first base too.(World Series)
You show up a player/team with your performance, not by attempting to physically hurt them.
Poor choices by such a good player.
When did he step on Pearce? Which game? He should’ve been tossed and fined.
It was a complete accident, unlike the Aguilar incident. Way overblown. Everybody likes to criticize Machado for being “dirty” but they call guys like “Utley” gritty for pulling all the same stuff. It’s so tiring. I also think it’s interesting that Machado is, by turns “lazy,” and also “A dirty” player who goes too hard into second on take-out slides and tries to hurt first basemen. Which narrative is it? Because they are mutually exclusive.
Yankees also need to prioritize defense in addition to their pitching. Andjuar needs to be moved off third to either first or left field. Another reason I believe Gardner is expendable. Indians for Gardner makes sense.
I’d like to see Andujar moved for a pitcher.
Machado and Harper are both in their mid-twenties. You dont even blink at giving them 10 year deals. From what Cashman and Steinbrenner have voiced, theres gpnna be lots of action this off season.
Yanks just traded for Chris Davis!
Yankees need Corbin more than Cheap-Shot Machado.
I sincerely hope Machado accepts the one offer he will get this off-season – 2 years @ 5.5 million from the Pirates.
If I was Cashman I’d use that money for Machado and sign both Corbin and Dallas Keuchel, and have enough left over to buy a yacht or thirty.
Arrangement not arraignment! Gardner isn’t in court
Machado should be a Yankee. Face of the Yankees. And in return they get stellar production. Deal with the devil, but Machado had a higher OPS+ than Harper, is American league east tested, and plays infield.
I’d use the money to re sign Happ and DRob, Harper, Corbin, and one of Kuechel or Nasty Nate
Or Morton if he chooses to play outside of Houston
I’ll take Robertson, but could do without the rest.
I hope the Yankees do not sign Machado. Lack of hustling and some serious ethics problems! Boone is not the type of manager who can control Machado. I’d say go after Harper and three starters. Say goodbye to Gardy, Birdy, & Walker,
Núñez Is a complement to Devers, not a compliment. A compliment is when you say something nice about someone. Pet peeve.
Mr. Núñez complimented Mr. Devers on his World Series ring. “That is a lovely World Series ring you are wearing Mr. Devers. It is a nice complement to the $69.99 gray World Series hoodie that the Red Sox gave you as a complimentary gift”.
Yankees will sign Harper, Tgen Boston will go ahead, sign Machado to counterattack and move either Devers or Bogaerts to 2B/or 3B to accommodate the one that thinks he’s the best, when he barely helped LA on anything in the playoffs.
I think Machado is way over his head. he’s not that good.
The Red Sox are world champions and there is no way they will sign Machado and that huge contract he is going to get. I doubt the Yankees will sign Harper as well I’m guessing they go hard after pitching.
Brett Gardner seems exactly like someone the Indians would go after
There is a severe lack of attention to detail when it comes to the Yankees’ winter plans. This has been in the works for multiple years. This won’t just be a response to the Red Sox, or reverting to any old plan, it’s been a conceived plan by the FO for years now. Reset the tax (which they did) and then spend up to pre-lux tax penalties. That means the Yankees can spend between the $206 and $247 threshhold this winter for final payroll numbers, leaving some money for in-season acquisitions. They’re also likely going to dump Gray’s salary. If they don’t pick up Gardner’s option or resign CC, they’re probably looking at upwards of $70 million to add to the payroll and maybe as much as around $120 depending on how close to the higher threshhold they want to get.
These are things they have been pretty transparent about for multiple winters now.
They need three starters, someone who can play the infield (whether it’s moving Torres to SS or getting a SS or someone to play 3B and a SS or 2B if they moved Andujar for a starter), and an outfielder (because if Stanton was a DH in year one, he’s not magically becoming a full time LF in year two).
My guess (and this is where it’s my emphasis, not things we already know:
Here’s a pool of players:
Brantley, Harper, Machado, Lowrie, Murphy, Corbin, Happ, D Rob, Britton.
Is anybody surprised if the Yankees sign five of those players?
Choose one of: Brantley/Harper/Machado
Choose one of: Lowrie/Murphy
Choose one of: D Rob/Britton
And then Corbin and Happ.
I would imagine that’s the game plan. Corbin is a young lefty and they’ve expressed mutual interest. You can probably get him on a Porcello type deal. Happ maybe on a one year deal, two years tops. This allows the flexibility to swap him out for Cole or Bumgarner after 2019 if they chose to go that route.
Brantley is a cost effective alternative to Harper and a lefty as well. If they sure up the infield instead, Machado is the obvious target,. If they shift Torres or sign Harper, Lowrie is the obvious target for 2B on a short deal. Murphy could be a lefty bat to play 1B to compliment Voit if they move on from Bird.
D Rob or Britton adds depth to Green, Chapman, Betances and hopefully, a recovered Kahnle with Holder returning.
That’s a loose outline of how I anticipate this winter to go depending on prices and the trade markets of course.
without mention of jacoby ellsbury “it’s a crowded outfield” for brett gardner