A few notes from the East Coast, where the first day of 2019 is nearing an end…
- Free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper raised eyebrows on social media last month when he “liked” an Instagram post relating to the Dodgers. Not to be outdone, fellow superstar free agent Manny Machado may have hinted about his own future plans on Instagram, as Jon Heyman of Fancred point outed out on Monday. Machado began following the YES Network, which broadcasts most Yankees games and which the franchise owns a portion of, only to quickly unfollow it when people took notice. Machado’s apparent interest in YES may be much ado about nothing, but for the moment, it has added a bit of intrigue to what looks like a three-horse race for his services.
- Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen “remains engaged” on the trade market, according to the New York Post’s Mike Puma, who reports the team is seeking an outfielder, a reliever (preferably a lefty), starting pitching depth and a backup infielder. Signing free-agent outfielder A.J. Pollock would address one of those needs, though Van Wagenen implied last month that wouldn’t happen, and Puma hears the Mets are leery of giving the 31-year-old a big contract. Similarly, the Mets are “unlikely” to go after lefty reliever Zach Britton in free agency, Puma writes.
- With the Nationals gearing up for the arrival of prospect Carter Kieboom, they may not sign a free-agent second baseman to anything more than a one-year deal, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic suggests (subscription required). The Nationals have shown interest in free agent DJ LeMahieu, but because he’s seeking a multiyear deal, there might not be a match between the sides. Free agent Brian Dozier, who could be in line for a one-year pact, would be a better fit, Ghiroli posits. The club has also expressed interest in Dozier this winter.
“…the team is seeking an outfielder, a reliever (preferably a lefty), starting pitching depth and a backup infielder.”
Jeez is that all? And not even gonna try for the best LH reliever out there in Britton?
Let’s just be honest and real. Machado will not sign with the Phillies Segura at short and Franco is at third. The white sox absolutely suck why in the world would he go there. He’s going to go to the yankees it’s done deal I will bet anyone here my life he will it’s obvious no way he doesn’t sign with the yankees.
Punctuation is your friend.
At least, it is someone’s friend.
I think run on sentences are his friends.
It is called stream of consciousness. It is very artistic. You can really understand the internal thoughts of the mind. When I try this technique I just ducks swimming in a kiddie pool and a monkey banging cymbals together.
Your life, huh? Why not say a “bazillion dollars?”
There is a good reason he would go to the White Sox. They just acquired his brother-in-law, Yonder Alonso.
Now Manny is playing mind games…
Remember… Harper did this mind game bull cra.p first.. Reports say Yankees aren’t going over 300M, for Machado..
You’re lucky they’re going for you at all, Machado. — Should go for Harper…
Machado goes first. If it’s not to Philadelphia, I think the Phillies will then truly put up crazy money ($350m + and 10 years) for Harper. Since no one else appears to be that crazy, they will get him.
Bryce Harper was partying with Kris Bryant… surprised Heyman ain’t saying the cubs are signing him to record deal.
Baez
Harper
Bryant
Rizzo
Crazy good top 4
A crazy better 2-5. I’m not too crazy about Javy in the leadoff role. I’d also be good with a 2-5 of Harper, Bryant, Rizzo, Baez followed by Schwarber and Contreras. Now that would be a crazy good 2-7. Maybe some combination of Ian Happ, Albert Almora or Ben Zobrist could fill in at #1 for 2019.
Actually, mlb speculated just that.
Don’t get it twisted… lol I would love it to happen. He’s one of my favorite players in the game. He’s a perfect fit for the cubs. I just hate the last couple years where FA’s all take forever to sign. Lol everyday I spend 30-1HR googling the cubs and Bryce Harper news lolz. far superior to Machado IMO
Me too, but Baez isn’t leading off anywhere… omg
If Bryant was smart, he got Harper all powdered up and had someone take photos. And Epstein rolls out the blackmail….
Oh wait, he’s Mormon. He gets to be a CEO God of his own planet some day. What does he need money for?
Mets don’t need Pollock, Conforto looked great there last year. He is a pure centerfielder. Quick on his feet and instinctual.
I agree that the Mets don’t need Pollock but Conforto is not a CF either. He was fine out there in 2018 but he’s much, much better in a corner spot. The Mets need a CF for sure.
Agreed. When he was drafted, word was he was a passable a best corner OF. He’s been better than was advertised in the field, but while he can play well enough in CF to get by, he’s definitely not a natural CF. He won’t kill you there if you need to play him there a few games here or there, but it’s not ideal to have him as your ‘regular’ CF.
As much as I’d rather have Harper. The writing is pretty much on the wall that Machado is going to be a Yankee. There’s been a lot leaked about him signing this week with the Yanks. Now Harper, I think is drumming up interest. I don’t think he goes to the Dodgers. I think he wants to be a Yankee as well and is kind of holding back hope that they make a late offer. Ultimately I think Harper is down to the Cards, Yanks and Dodgers. With the Cubs and Phillies being the 2 other possibles.
As I’ve said on pretty much every Yanks/Machado/Harper post. Harpers LH bat fits the greatest need for the Yanks. And Stanton, Judge and Harper rotate between the corners and DH. With Gardy and Hicks platooning CF.
If/when they sign Machado I don’t then think Andujar is expendable. I think he moves to 1B. And if Harper is a def no sign for the Yanks plays 1B/DH after DiDi comes back.
If they both sign. Then I think that’s when Andujar could become expendable. Unless they have confidence in his ability to handle 1B effectively. Then Bird and Voit become expendable. The noise of Andujar being dangled feels very planted. U don’t give up a guy who can hit like Andujar. He many just not b able to handle 3B. But u find him a spot
Do you seriously think the yanks will shell out 500-600MM+ in deals for both Machado and Harper? That would be dumb.
Yanks are spending 29% of their total revenue. In 1 year they spent 85%. They can sign them both and make plenty of money.
To lock up 600 million in two players no matter your revenue situation is just dumb. That’s a crushing amount of cash for any franchise.
That’s not the point. Can the Yankees afford to throw away 600M+ on Machado and Harper? Sure. Do they need either of them to get past Boston? No. They need pitching. It would be a dumb move.
Could they outhit Boston with Machado and Harper? Probably. There’s two ways to beat a team. The Sox’s rotation isn’t leaps and bounds ahead of NY. I’m not in anyway advocating for the yanks to do that but I’d be more afraid of that lineup w Machado and Harper than I am v Boston. Boston still doesn’t have a closer and their bullpen is a question mark. I think it’d be wiser to go get a guy like Kluber but they really can’t make too many more big splashes into the trade market before they dry up on chips to use. That was why it was so surprising to see Corbin go elsewhere. I figured Cash would be heavily in on him since all he costed was $$$ and a pick.
I don’t think it would be dumb to sign 2 generational baseball players entering their prime. Unless they come up from your farm, you don’t get many of these types of players in free agency. Who was the last Manny Machado or Harper to be a free agent at 26? ARod? These guys will probably go into the hall of fame. That is enough reason for me, besides, Elsbury will be off the team in 2 years and Tanaka as well.
Sale wasn’t looking himself at the end of the year and Betts and JD HD Career years, while judge, Stanton and Sánchez had down years. People act like Boston is waaay ahead of the Yanks, they are not.
It’s pretty stupid to guarantee 100s of millions of future dollars into two players. You could be paying a 35 year old Harper and Machado 70 million for very little production when they’re that age. That’s not wise for any franchise. Especially one who also has Giancarlo Stanton locked up and will have to sign Aaron Judge to a deal down the line. The Yankees have the capacity to really spend some money but when you’re talking about tossing that kind of cash up it’s a little ridiculous even for them. You can’t have nearly 100 million a year locked into Stanton, Harper, and Machado for a decade. That’s just not a terrible long term move.
Didn’t the Yanks did something similar when they signed Teixeira, CC and Burnett? And these players were older and not of the same caliber as Machado and Harper. Your concern is year 35? I’ll take. ARod was still pretty good at 34
The problem is projecting a player 10 years out. That core you threw out was due a lot less cash than those 2 will go for and for a lot less seasons. No one can project a guy 7-10 years out. How fast did Ryan Howard go down? There’s too much risk in giving 3 guys that kind of money and you’re not even considering the future dollars you need to pay Judge, Severino, Sanchez or anyone else.
Tex sign for 8 years. Cc for what 6 and he was a pitcher. Yes the cash was less, but their revenue was also less. The 2009 season is the last time the Yankees signed the top player of a free agent class, and they haven’t been back to the WS since that run. It’s time that they go back to that winning strategy. This core is much stronger than in 2009.
Jbibz12…..the bullpen was a question mark in the playoffs too. How did that turn out for them?
Plus 2008 the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time post 94-strike, They went all out and won the World Series.
The bullpen turned out well in the playoffs. You lost Joe Kelly and you’ll need Eovaldi to put up a similar performance again. Just because it worked out once doesn’t mean it will again.
Is it dust or angel dust ?
Still like to read delusional posting
Most clueless, delusional post yet about Harper and Machado.
Not only did he add numerous Yankee players on Instagram but he added the team’s equipment manager on it too a few days ago
Not the equipment manager?!?!
This is why Brodie Van Wagenen is a very good GM. Anyone could blindly sign a player like Pollock and stupidly give him a 5-6 year deal but that’s not smart business. With the LONG history of injuries that Pollock has, I wouldn’t be comfortable giving him more than 3 years. Same goes for Britton. Even though he did finish the 2018 season strong, there’s a lot of risk there, especially with the type of investment it would take to sign him.
As for lefty relief options, I would like to see the Mets target FA’s Justin Wilson & Tony Sipp and trade target Adam Conley. I still think that Adam Jones makes a lot of sense for the Mets because he will come cheaper in both dollars and years then Pollock. The crown jewel of this off season for Brodie Van Wagenen could be signing Marwin Gonzalez to become the Mets Super Utility guy. He brings great defensive versatility, a decent bat and Championship experience.
Don’t get me wrong, as long as Bryce Harper is still a FA, I’m hoping upon hope that the Mets sign him but I’m not holding my breath on that one.
Why sign Marwin when you have McNeil? Marwin gets praised for his versatility but does the versatility help the Mets? You have a LF,2B,SS and a RF. He’s likely not an upgrade w the bat v McNeill and he can’t play CF. No team couldn’t use a versatile bench piece but for the price why wouldn’t you put that towards a legitimate CF or even another upper tier bullpen arm?
I see McNeil more as a platoon player, switching between 1B & 3B and with McNeil being a left handed hitter, he would get a lot of at bats. Marwin would help the Mets in MANY ways. Yes, McNeil can play multiple positions but with no solid options at 3B, a 36 y/o 2B and if Alonso gets the call at 1B, a lot of inexperience. Not to mention, no Mets regular will play 150 gms or more. Let’s say Conforto plays 144 gms, Nimmo 144 gms and whomever plays CF, plays 140 gms(by the way, these game totals, are wishful thinking). Even if the OF played that many gms, that still leaves 56 open gms in the OF alone and let’s be honest, there will be more games that have to get filled. Same goes for the INF. Cano will more than likely DH most of the time the Mets play in AL parks which means Gonzalez could play 2B or 1B if the Mets prefer McNeil at 2B or even at 3B if the Mets prefer Frazier/Alonso at 1B. Also, let’s say Rosario plays 154 gms, which is a lot, that still leaves another 8 gms at SS. The Mets currently have no true backup SS, Gonzalez plays SS quite well.
Bottomline is, with the recent bad luck the Mets have had in regards to injuries and still having roster holes to fill, Marwin Gonzalez could plug two of those holes by himself.
I hear that. He could work on your team. He’s not taking any of those starts in CF though. You’ll have to slot Nimmo or conforto over. I don’t know how many dollars the Mets have left to play with. If I was in their shoes I’d allocate those dollars towards a true CF. There’s still guys like Hech and Galvis in FA as well if you miss on Gonzales to cover the infield slots. It’s all about the price to me
In a perfect world, the Mets would be able to trade Juan Lagares and hopefully save at least half of his $9.5 million salary, then allocate those funds in Adam Jones, I think a 2 yr, $14 million contract with a 3rd yr team option at say a $10 million salary with a $2 million buyout(which in essence makes it 2 yrs & $16 million guaranteed) would get a deal done. I know Jones is not the same CF he was 2-3 years ago, but with two quality corners in Nimmo & Conforto backing him up, he’ll be more than adequate. Plus, Jones still has a quality bat(.281 BA in ’18). If the Mets could get both Jones & Gonzalez, that would be amazing but a Jones/Galvis pairing, is a solid second option. Galvis has a great glove.
@jbigz12
I didn’t even mention my main motivating factor into not spending big on Pollock or even Harper/Machado for that matter and it’s simple, Nolan Arenado is a free agent after 2019. With the Mets in need of a new 3B & cornerstone type player, imagine signing a 28 y/o Arenado and adding him to a lineup that would already feature, Conforto, Nimmo, hopefully a healthy Cespedes, Rosario & Cano??? I literally salivate at the thought of the Mets signing Arenado to like an 8-10 year contract.
Jones is not a CF. I’m an Orioles fan. You’re better off sticking a younger Nimmo or Conforto out there. Also with Jones’ offensive output remember it came in OPACY. His power numbers cratered this year as well. That’s not a guy I want playing center.
@jbigz12
Wow, being that you’re an Orioles fan, I’m going to have to take your word on that one. Damn, that sucks. Ah well, hopefully a combination of Lagares/Rajai Davis can suffice until Cespedes returns after the allstar break(I should say IF). With a healthy Cespedes, I think Conforto & Nimmo switching between CF & RF would be fine.
What do you think about the idea of the Mets going hard after Arenado after the ’19 season???
You have a need at 3rd unless McNeil becomes the guy. You’re a NY team that should run their payroll up higher and Arenado is a very solid player. It’s always tough paying big bucks to a Coors Guy but I don’t doubt he’s not a very good player. It’s just tough when you’re potentially throwing 250+ million dollars at a guy, you’d like to be more certain about how good of a hitter he really is.
With that being said if Pollock’s market really craters the Mets should get in on a front loaded deal. 3/48 million with an 18-20 million dollar salary in year one with an opt out after that point. It keeps the money under the 2nd draft pick line and provides some incentive for Pollock. Idk how realistic that would be but it’d eliminate a lot of risk for NY and allow Pollock to re enter the market without a QO if he wanted to. I like Pollock for the right price and he gives you a legitimate starter in CF. Moving forward you still have 3 guys who are best in the corner but if you snag pollock you can at least kick that can down the road until next year to decide who to trade or possibly play in CF
@jbigz12
I love that idea. My brother and I were talking about that same thing about 2 weeks ago. I was like, with the new rules regarding qualifying offers, why not try to sign Pollock to a 3 yr, $49.5 million contract because it would save the Mets from forfeiting their 2nd Round Draft Pick. I’m happy to see that someone other than me has thought about this. Hopefully Brodie Van Wagenen is too. The front loading part is genius. Maybe make the 1st year worth $21.5 million with an Opt Out option after the 1st season??? Just for the record, I despise Opt Outs. The Opt Out gives both team & player incentive to sign. Player gets premium AAV for year one and maintains the security of 2 more seasons in case his injury problems persist. Team benefits are if player lives up to potential, his $21.5 million AAV for 2019 will be worth it, plus he might just opt out to give your team additional funds to sign a player like Arenado or if he bombs in season one, you keep a talented player on your roster for a reasonable 2 yrs & $28 million. Either way, it’s a win, win.
Manny is going to take the 300M he gets from the Phillies and use it to buy the YES network from Disney. That is why he was following them.
They might take that as a down payment.
Harper to Cubs, Machado to White Sox. You heard it here first.
It was always gonna be ManNY Machado.
Someone needs to get things going already.
Offer both these guys a contract
32 mil for 4 yrs with opt out
25 mil for the next 4 yrs with opt out
20 mil for 3 yrs
288 mil over life of contract
Get it done already
Neither guy would sign that contract.
Aj Pollock is Jason Bay 2.0
Signing Marwin or Harrison for the Nats makes so much sense. Though Gonzalez and Harrison will likely be looking for 2 year deals, the Nats, even with Kieboom, can do that. Once Kieboom comes to the majors, both can play enough positions to be moved to a utility role.
I think the Nats are better off with a traditional 2B for Marwin’s price. They have a SS, 3B and plenty of outfielders. His versatility is nice but if you look at him as strictly a 2B there’s guys who can outhit him who will sign for less. They still have Kendrick who can cover multiple slots on the bench and MAT to cover the backup OF slots.