The apparent staring contest between Manny Machado, the White Sox and the Phillies doesn’t seem to have an end in sight, and the saga will surely drag on even longer if reports of unidentified suitors prove true. With the identities of said teams (assuming for a moment that they do indeed exist) yet unknown — it’s perhaps worthwhile to at least take a high-level pass throughout the league to see just who could plausibly emerge as a surprise dark-horse in the Machado auction.
It seems safe to eliminate the league’s perennial lowest spenders. While the Rays have an atypical amount of flexibility even after signing Charlie Morton, it’s impossible to imagine a team with this payroll history sustaining even a $25MM annual salary — let alone a salary of $30MM or more. Similarly, the Athletics figure to be priced out of the Machado market, as do the Pirates and the Marlins (the latter of which, once again, is rebuilding anyway). The Reds are already projected to set a new franchise-record payroll in 2019, and adding Machado when they already have strong infield options isn’t all that plausible.
Great as Machado is, there are also some clubs who simply don’t have space in their infield for him. The Astros could afford to add Machado to their ranks, for instance, but Houston wouldn’t displace any of Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa or Jose Altuve to accommodate Machado. The Nationals have Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner and newly signed Brian Dozier comprising their non-first-base infield slots. I wouldn’t characterize the group of Josh Donaldson, Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies and Johan Camargo as quite as strong an infield mix, but it’s fair to say that the Braves probably don’t have space for yet another left-side infielder, barring a trade. Machado would also take Atlanta’s payroll to record heights.
Looking further, it’s unlikely that a team in the early stages of a pure rebuild is going to sign Machado the type of contract he’s seeking. The Royals are trying to pare back payroll, and the Tigers have yet to signal that they’re ready to emerge from their own restructuring. The Orioles aren’t going to bring him back into the mix on the heels of selling off the vast majority of their appealing veteran assets last summer. If it turns out that the Mariners wanted to clear money for Machado and/or Bryce Harper all along this winter, well then kudos to Jerry Dipoto on the most entertaining offseason in MLB history. But, since we’re trying to be rational, it seems like a lock that Machado doesn’t align with Seattle’s “re-imagining” movement.
Several mid-market teams are said to be facing payroll constraints that’ll probably keep them out of the Machado market. The Indians have been trying to shed payroll for much of the winter, and the Diamondbacks are currently being weighed down by huge commitments to Zack Greinke and Yasmany Tomas, the latter of whom is no longer even on the roster. The Rockies’ projected payroll already checks in north of $150MM, making a deal tough to envision. And if they’re going to give this type of annual salary to anyone, they’d probably prefer to offer it to Nolan Arenado, anyhow.
There are also several teams who typically spend heavily but are again refraining from doing so. The Dodgers don’t really have a need on the left side of the infield, but they could conceivably move Justin Turner or perhaps even Corey Seager to second base if it meant opening the hot corner for a player of Machado’s caliber, but there have at least been some reports that L.A. is vying to stay below the luxury tax line, and they’ve not spent like a big-market club to date. The Cubs could bid farewell to Addison Russell in some capacity and install Machado at shortstop, but persistent reports out of Chicago suggest their budget isn’t even flexible enough to bolster the relief corps. The Giants seem likelier to rebuild than to add a free agent of this magnitude, and the Rangers have been zeroed in on smaller-scale additions as they embark on their own soft reset. The Blue Jays are no strangers to large payrolls ($160MM+ in each of the past two seasons) but have made only marginal additions as they face the reality of a top-heavy division and the disbanding of the core that recently carried them to the ALCS.
The Red Sox arguably don’t have a dire need for Machado, though they could likely find a way to fit him into the mix. However, they’re just a few million shy of the top luxury bracket, and some reports have implied that an unwillingness to top that threshold is preventing them from even adding a reliever to the ’pen. They’re picking an odd time to draw a line in the sand, but Machado never seemed all that likely a target anyhow. Their chief rival, the Yankees, made (and very arguably still makes) sense on paper, but it doesn’t seem like they’ll outbid the field to further muddle an already crowded infield picture.
Beyond this grouping, of course, we know that both the White Sox and Phillies are legitimate Machado suitors who needn’t be explored as we try to pin down any potential mystery clubs. All of that said, there are still six clubs that strike me as reasonable guesses when trying to pin down potential Machado mystery clubs. Here’s a look at the remaining teams, and how/why they could conceivably add Machado to the mix (listed alphabetically):
- Angels: The Halos have larger priorities — namely, trying to extend Mike Trout — but it wouldn’t be that hard to fit Machado into the mix. Zack Cozart could be slotted in at second base to make room for Machado at third base. Recent comments from GM Billy Eppler have suggested that the Angels’ spending is likely near its max following the addition of Cody Allen, but they only have Trout under control for another two seasons. There’s every reason to try to maximize the chance of winning immediately, and the Albert Pujols albatross will be off the books after the 2021 season. If the Halos somehow find a way to extend Trout, they’d only be on the hook for all three mega-salaries for one season (2021).
- Brewers: Milwaukee is already in record payroll territory, but Ryan Braun is a free agent after the 2020 season and they’ve watched the division-rival Cubs largely sit this offseason out. With a clear infield need, the Brewers could theoretically add Machado, slide Travis Shaw over to second base and boast an exceptionally deep lineup. Milwaukee has just $48MM in guaranteed money on the 2020 payroll and $35.5MM in 2021. There’s likely some bad blood after October’s Jesus Aguilar incident — Christian Yelich made his feelings toward Machado known after that game — but presumably the hatchet could be buried if Machado were suddenly helping the Brewers win an extra five-plus games per year for the foreseeable future.
- Cardinals: President of baseball ops John Mozeliak certainly didn’t sound like someone who was planning on a big free-agent splash over the weekend, but the Cards were prioritizing corner-infield bats earlier this winter prior to acquiring Paul Goldschmidt and could still fit Machado into the fold. Doing so would likely mean sliding either Paul DeJong or Matt Carpenter to second base for a season — the latter of which is probably a particularly unpalatable defensive alignment. But the St. Louis lineup would be exceptionally deep. As mentioned above with regard to the Rockies and Arenado, perhaps the Cardinals would simply prefer to give Goldschmidt a $30MM+ annual salary on an extension if they have the resources available, but Machado is a half decade younger.
- Mets: The Mets’ infield is overcrowded as is — so much so that Jeff McNeil is likely to play in the outfield next season — so they’d have to make a move in order to fit Machado into the mix. But new GM Brodie Van Wagenen has been vocal about his win-now attitude, and shipping Todd Frazier off in order to open regular time for Machado at the hot corner isn’t outlandish. What could be outlandish would be the Wilpon family green-lighting a payroll north of $160MM, but even with all the moves they’ve made, it’s not that hard to see an on-paper scenario where Machado fits into the mix.
- Padres: San Diego’s hopeful core is quite young, which presents them with the potential to carry a few notable veteran long-term contracts. Last offseason’s Eric Hosmer deal already looks regrettable, but the Padres did front-load the deal, so their annual commitment to Hosmer drops to $13MM beginning in 2023. The Padres project at a payroll just south of $84MM right now and have about $64MM on the books next season. The Padres haven’t historically been big spenders in the past, but the current ownership group did authorize a $108MM Opening Day payroll back in 2015. The Padres are known to be looking for a third baseman, and Machado would give them a long-term answer.
- Twins: The Twins are the only team in baseball that doesn’t have a single dollar committed to any player in 2020. With a completely blank payroll slate, they’d have little problem fitting a major salary onto the long-term books. Looking at the 2019 roster, the infield appears full at first glance, but Machado is the type of player for whom a team should be willing to shuffle the deck. Miguel Sano could slide over to first base, pushing C.J. Cron to the bench role that Tyler Austin currently occupies. A $4.8MM bench bat would be an overpay for a team like the Twins, and owner Jim Pohlad would need to approve a record payroll by as much as $10MM for the upcoming season. That, however, would be a one-year expenditure before payroll naturally regressed. Meanwhile, the Indians aren’t improving, the Tigers and Royals aren’t threats to contend, and if any club should have an interest in keeping Machado away from the ChiSox, one would imagine it’d be a division rival.
Watch him got to Arizona. Lol
Watch for a surprising trade from someone to free up money … IF there is another team interested but I believe the Brewers might be the one and if they sign him they would probably become the central favorites.
They said that about the dodgers and Harper
Sillier by the day.
Ain’t that the truth?!
And utterly boring.
As odd as it might sound, but here are rumors here in western PA that Pittsburgh is in the mix. They have an incredibly low payroll and have the money for Machado.
If this team does nothing else and fails to compete, I could see a sell off and another long period of losing years. Why not sign Machado and see what happens? Worst outcome…trade him for a boatload if we still struggle.
Worst outcome is he gets hurt and he takes up 30-40% of the total payroll and is untradable. This is the problem with people they all they these huge markets are taking all all these teams bad long term contracts. Well it’s not happening anymore.
True. But I suppose a team like the Pirates will need to take some sort of risk to compete.
If he gets hurt….would he not be insured?
There is so much that goes into an insurance policy. It’s very complex. For instance, it costs more to insure a pitcher over an everyday player. Insurance is generally covered in 2-3 year intervals, not 7-10 like some of these players get. Some teams have said it’s so complex and expensive that it’s not even worth investing their money. I read a story where the Nationals are one of many teams that don’t buy insurance on their players. And most policies only cover 50-80% if that contract and player meet the guidelines. There are so many things that go into it. For example, “In 2009, the Diamondbacks were looking to extend Brandon Webb for 3 years, worth over $50 million. Even though he passed a team physical, the Diamondbacks were informed their insurer would not cover Webb’s right arm. The Diamondbacks pulled their offer at that point.” – Michael Branda.
Nick, that is all true. But it wouldn’t prevent the Pirates from ensuring Machado (in 3 year increments, for 70 to 80% of his salary). The rate on such an insurance wouldn’t be prohibitively high, it’s a young player, not particularly high risk.
So iverbure is wrong, the worst thing that could happen isn’t that he could get hurt and take up 30-40% of the payroll. Worst thing that can happen is that he gets hurt, and takes up 10% of the payroll (the uninsured part), and then his insurance rates go up for the next 3 year period.
That’s still a significant cost, but not the huge gamble being described
All this assumes the Pirates are in any way interested in winning (which they’re not, their only interest seems to be to mooch off of big market teams, while spending the minimum necessary to not get thrown out of the League).
Ok, but those insurance policies almost ALWAYS require a player to suffer a career ending injury, and they take a long time to pay out. So if Machado suffers another torn ACL and misses a year and a half, then comes back, isn’t completely healthy and injures something else as if often the case, they don’t get the insurance money.
The risk is far greater financially than you’re suggesting.
So someone will sign Machado to a multi-year alabtross contract then trade the albatross for ‘a boatload’? A boatload of what, other albatrosses? If you’ve been watching, teams are trying to dump these deals, or eating them, not signing more of them. No one is going to trade for an overpriced Machado. if you sign him, he’s yours.
Thank you. I never understand that argument. If teams don’t want him enough to match whatever contract he ultimately signs as a free agent, why would they want to trade valuable assets for that same contract a few months later? Unless major injuries are involved, it makes absolutely no sense.
Machado is going to sign with the highest bidder. His contract isn’t going to be tradeable. Especially not for a “boatload.”
Let me preface this by saying I think there is like 2% chance the Pirates sign Machado. That said, they are a low spending team but they could offer move Cervelli and give him 35 mil per year and still be under 100 mil payroll. If they were ever going to spend on a big FA Machado is the about as close to a perfect storm for them as they will ever get. Younger than most FAs, plays a position they desperately need, a lot of the big money clubs are out either because they don’t have a need or they are trying to stay under luxury tax. In closing they aren’t signing him.
Considering how they spend giving one player a third of their payroll doesn’t sound ideal to me
And that’s not Pirate policy.
Isn’t something like 15%
their “rule?”
One of the biggest draft blunders of recent memory. Pirates take Tailon over Machado. Tell me that one hasnt stung for last 6 years.
How many teams past on Trout again? 20? Huge miss by many…..
You could look at every draft up to about 5 years ago and say the same thing about numerous other players. Also, the Angels had back to back picks in that draft and chose Grichuk at 24 and Trout at 25. They knew Trout was the better player, but they saved a few $$$ by drafting him 1 spot further down.
Lots of factors in why some players get past over.
The $$$ part makes no sense. They either pay him at #24 or someone else at #25.
How many WS titles did Machado bring to Baltimore? How many has Taillon brought to Pitt? ZERO. Where was the blunder? You act like Machado is the 2nd coming of Ruth. He hasn’t done anything to make his teams win, so there is no blunder. The draft isn’t an exact science. For the love of God, Albert Pujols was taken in the 13th round, and Piazza in a round that doesn’t even exist anymore.
How many has Trout brought the Angels……..it is a team sport right?
Sure it’s a team sport, so I’m not sure why this is a blunder on the part of Pitt? Like I said, it’s not an exact science. Who cares that Pitt missed on Machado? Teams, IN HINDSIGHT, “miss” on players all the time, like I referenced with Pujols and Piazza to name just 2 out of hundreds.
@Nick Congratulations! You win stupid comment of the day.
Well this is just an incredibly stupid comment. That’s like saying that Mike Trout hasn’t done anything to help his team win because they haven’t won a World Series with him.
ONE player doesn’t win you a World Series. But players as great as Machado certainly help.
I can’t imagine even you believe something so stupid….
Not really a blunder as Taillon has been very good and only looks to get better. Machado has been better for sure but the rotation would be lousy without JT.
pirates are a low spending team. they didnt even extend mccutchen or cole.
They did extend McCutchen but declined to give him another contract for his declining years.
Cole was a mistake. He was not coached properly and developed a bad attitude. He needed to let it rip and pitch to get strikeouts instead of using sinkers/two seamers and getting grounders.
Notice how Taillon abandoned this approach and started striking guys out and pitched like an ace in the second half.
If Cole was let alone and performed better than he did in Pittsburgh, he would never have extended in Pittsburgh. He would still have gone the FA route that he will when his contract is up in Houston. Moot point. He still would have been traded when he was. Jury still out on the trade that did happen.
March 6, 2012. Pirates give McCutchen 6 year/$51.5M extension.
Yeah, actually they did extend McCutchen. They then traded him when they started their rebuild, but they absolutely extended him.
Even if that was the case you know MM would insist on a no-trade clause which would end the negotiations immediately. Huntington/Nutting could never bring themselves to commit to a $30M+ salary even on a 1-year contract.
bwahahaha….,,,,,,,,you can’t possibly be still buying what Neil is selling…..can you? If you spell Machado as Chisenhall then you are correct
Marlins. He becomes the face of the franchise and legitimizes the rebuild.
I would think he wants to play at a park where they have fans in the seats…
I think he wants to play with whatever team gives him the most money.
While I certainly don’t know the man, so I can only go off my perceptions and public reports, but Manny seems like a highest bidder type player, more than a where can I win right now player. Whoever offers the longest and highest, will sign him. He isn’t as marketable as Bryce, but is the overall better player….right now. For all this talk, I still think Bryce ends up in Philly, and Manny will pick the mystery team. Just my take.
And in 3 years he will be demanding a trade to a contender. The game doesn’t need any more over paid “me first” players. What kind of return is any national league team going to get out of his last four years?
He’s an elite defender at 3rd base and has one of the highest pct of hard hit balls of any player in the game…and is just entering his age 26 season. Not sure why anyone would think he’d become a defensive liability even in his early 30’s(Which would require a 6-8 year deal).
And he can start his vacations every first week in October!
Ahh yes, the Marlins. The Orioles of the NL.
Pretty sure they cannot afford him. They gave up Stanton’s contract – who was the face – not to sign another behemoth contract
Machado is a far more valuable player. He’s a far less likeable player, but a far better one. He is a asset offensively and a great defender at 3rd and I still believe he’ll be a great defensive SS. He has a cannon for an arm and sure hands.
Never understood the “mystery team” approach. Everyone on the planet knows that they are either ghost writers, such as Heyman, or rival GMs just driving up the price for the teams actually involved.
I disagree with the ghost writer comment. Buster Olney brought up the twins as a mystery team the other day and I don’t consider him a ghost writer.
As far as the twins actually signing either though, I give it a 0.00001% chance, and that’s coming from a twins fan. It did get the twins in the news though and gave local sports talk shows something to talk about in this slow offseason. So as it probably being just smoke, it does get the fans interested in a fan base that may be losing interest.
If Machado was interested at setting the market but going shorter term like 4 yrs at say 37-38 mil more teams would be in on him. Players insist on these old 8-10 type deals and cry when nobody is interested.
It’s been a few years now, so I don’t remember the players, but back in the late 1990’s early 2000’s the Yankees swooped in at the last minute and signed some big name free agents, even after spending the off season claiming publicly they were not interested. So yes, sometimes there is a mystery team, and it’s usually the damn NYY.
2008 as well with AJ Burnett and Tex
The Brewers got screwed out of Mike Trout because the Yankees, who were not in on Mark Texiera until it looked like the Red Sox were going to sign him. That year CC Sabathia and Mark Texiera were the #1 and #2 FA’s with Tex just BARELY beating out CC because Tex played every day. So the 25th pick, the pick that would become Mike Trout was sent to the Angles and the Brewers got the Yankees 2nd round pick(NOT Mike Trout sadly).
The writers are mouthpieces for the agents(who ask them to pretend there’s more going on than there is). 7yr/$200m is just about the ceiling for Machado. He should take it.
I definitely believe there are actual “mystery team(s)” in on both Harper and Machado. If the bidding for Machado really is in the low-200million range right now, I cannot fathom a situation in which the Phils and W Sox are the only two in the contest. The fact that his market has been so slow to develop (which we should have expected) has seemingly tricked people into thinking that he doesn’t have a market at all and, even worse, keeps bringing everyone back to that tired, old narrative embellishing his “villainous” post=season. The fact of the matter is that Machado is a marquee player in his prime and if his market really is only between two teams, then the entire system is more busted than we can imagine.
That’s not always true. Look at Pujols and the Angels, that came out of nowhere and stunned everybody.
I think it’d be funny if headed into ST he is still unsigned. At this point if the Braves signed one of the two I’d just assume it be Harper, based solely on the “hustle” comment machado made. I think that really put a dent in is value
I too have suspected the Braves but it’s just not AA’s style to buy free agents. He’s made major moves via trade. Can’t rule them out though.
Building on fun possibilities if the Braves were the muster team – they’d sign Machado then put Swanson, Riley, Allard and Wright (and Duvall if the want him) in a package for Realmulto and Steckenrider. Braves then pick up another cheap utility piece (former Marlin D Deitrich) for multi-positional depth.
*mystery.
Also, finishing the thought, Machado slides to 3rd for future years when Donaldson departs.
Agree with the ‘dent’ observation. Manny said what he said, and the bell can’t be un-rung.
It’s possible Manny was just throwing a bone to the sports reporters by commenting at all, and had a brain cramp in that instant. We’ve all done it. You say something and instantly wish you hadn’t. (Insert “I do” joke here)
If I’m Manny, I’d hustle more than ever now. I’d want to make up for my momentary lapse of reason a hundred times over.
Don’t sleep on the Jays. They have zero contracts that run beyond 2019. (Except Tulo’s $14m he’s owed) and Lourdes Gurriel’s cheap contract. They have a tonne of prospects and Vlad coming up in April. Not to mention one of the biggest markets. They seem like the perfect fit for a big Harper, Machado, Trout type contract.
I’m on board with signing either Machado or Harper. They’d still be effective when this team is hoping to contend in a few years. I’d personally prefer Harper as there really aren’t many OF prospects in the Jays system and a logjam of IF prospects.
why would a player of machado’s caliber want to play in canada though?
it’s called MONEY!!!! Besides ONLY half of his games would be played in Canada.
I’m probably a little biased but you guys realize Toronto is probably a top 5 city in the league, right?
If you want to get more into the headaches though, like customs and taxes, I’ll give you that.
And the 2nd worst playing surface in the league that is rarely talked about and probably more important than the other two as it causes more injuries and more days off for rest. Also costs you more to lure free agents who don’t want to play on the surface but will if you overpay than any other team.,
Jays failure even when making the playoffs has been drafting or player development. Outside of Kevin Pillar the amount of everyday big league players they’ve developed you could probably list on one hand in the last 15 years.
The game now is won on the backs of your young controllable guys and has been for better than a decade. Just now teams are figuring it out
The Jays could be major players next year or the year after getting some overpriced free agent that will cripple payroll 7,8 years from now but not this year.
Top 5 city in MLB? In what universe?
By what metrics?
Middle of the pack at best…
by the maple-syrup-hockey-pucks-and-denim-jackets-per-capita metric, duh…
You must not know much about Toronto or ever been there. It’s one of the most beautiful, multicultural, and international cities in the world. It’s prominent for music, movies, tourism, sports, art etc. It’s an absolute thriving city. I don’t know what Machado’s taste is, but living in Toronto is not a bad thing. It’s Canada’s equivalent to NYC.
Thank you Nick. Obviously everyone has different tastes, but Toronto is about as close to New York as you can get outside of NYC.
Toronto is actually ranked the #4 Market in North America. Not close to middle of the pack. I believe NY, LA and I think it was Chicago ahead of them.
New York and LA are on their own plane, but Chicago, San Francisco and Boston are the only other MLB cities in Toronto’s league for financial and cultural heft. You need to get out more.
What “market” are you looking at? The general comparison is media market through Nielsen and Toronto is not #4.
Nielson doesn’t include Canadian cities on its U.S. list, so no surprise that it isn’t #4.
newsgeneration.com/broadcast-resources/top-100-rad…
Statista puts them together.
statista.com/statistics/791916/leading-tv-markets-…
Take off, ‘eh hoser.
I think I’d rather Harper. Their infield prospect depth is loaded.
Jays front office are chiselers. It makes sense to buy talent for the reasons just mentioned, but I see the focus of this group as saving, not spending. Unfortunately.
The Jays have long stated they won’t do a deal over 5 years, not even for their someone from Canada.
Don’t know who the team, or if the conclusions here are right or wrong, but I love the level of thought put into this article. Great job, kudos, and please do more like this!
Yeah Cudos to Steve !
Great article steve!
Absolutely. This is what I wrote down as my suggestion in their survey. I would love more articles such as this. Great job, boys.
It doesn’t really matter who the “mystery team(s)” are anyway. Nobody wants to give him more than $200m, regardless.
Red Sox sign Machado. Option Devers to AAA til Trade deadline and Trade Xander, slide Machado over and recall Devers in August.
So they spend 200+ million when they are trying to avoid going over the luxury tax, just so they can trade an all-star caliber SS they already have on roster in the middle of a season with huge World Series expectations, effectively giving them the worst defensive infield in baseball? Seems like a steep price to pay for ultimately a fairly lateral move.
And next year? The year after? The year after that? Bogaerts is not Machado.
Why not just save 75 million and extend Bogaerts and still have the money to keep Betts?
I would prefer Bogaerts above average defense + offense over Machado’s offense + sub par SS defense.
Time for the Phillies to set a firm “take it or leave it” deadline. Agent is playing games. Let Machado be someone else’s overpaid, under achieving, budget busting primadona.
I wouldn’t do that if I were the Phils. They are playing it the right way, monitoring both BH and MM simultaneously and putting out strong indications that they can be the highest bidder on either player. These things take time and the Phils are patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. Forcing one of the two into a “take-it-or-leave-it” scenario really is not a good negotiating tactic, unless you really, truly don’t care if the player declines it (which is not the case here–they DO want Machado).
Last year the Phillies signed Jake Arrieta on March 12. I assume they told Scott Boras they’d top any offer on AAV as long as the deal was for three guaranteed years. That probably makes Andy MacPhail pretty confident the market will come to him.
John Middleton might be as impatient as Jim Stem but MacPhail has the Arrieta singing on his ledger when he tells him that they’ll get Machado or Harper for the years they feel comfortable with.
The White Sox are employing the same wise approach as the Phillies. My best guess is that no mystery team will sign either Machado or Harper, that they will ink a deal with either Chicago and/or Philadelphia.
I hope he sits out the season because he didn’t get what he expected. However, it’s likely he signs a 1 year pillow contract and tries again next year. He can go play with his bestest buddy and big toe, Jon Jay, and lose 90 games.
I don’t care who signs Machado, I just want someone to put one in his ear for that bush league crap he pulled in the playoffs.
Every megadeal over the last ten years has quickly become a megafailure for the spending team. I don’t know why teams even consider such commitments.
“STOP SIDING WITH THE OWNERS!!!”
I am not sure Sandman2 is siding with the owners, seems to me he is just stating facts.
…and ignoring the fact that none of those mega deals happened when the player was 26 years old
Ignoring there’s risk associated with any 8-10 year regardless of the age of the player is a huge fact too.
I was joking. Everyone on here seems to defend the players. I don’t believe the owners should feel obligated to hand out awful deals.
Jeter was 26 when he signed his 10 year deal.
Look at David Wright. Injuries can strike a major knee injury or shoulder and a player might never be the same again. Better to go shorter higher AAV than less AAV and close to a decade. GMs have figured this out yet players and people on here still come crying like the players are making the league minimum when they turn down 100mil+.
Jeter’s deal worked out okay.
Manny coming home to San Diego! His best friend is Fernando Tatis Jr and he already owns a house in Tijuana. Book it! Padres will be the Astros of the west by next year.
I thought Willie Jon Roberto Clemente Jay was his best friend?
this would be awesome
There is no “mystery team” that has made some amazing offer. This is simply Machado and his agent very upset about the lack of teams interested, now have to create a story to make it seem like teams are throwing the bank at him. This is nothing more than an agent trying to drive up the price for his client, nothing more. Thats what you get for acting like a dbag every season lol
Neither player is worth it. Nats had a stacked team and still couldn’t make it deep in the playoffs with Harper. As for machado his antics show me he needs a lot of maturity before he gets the money.
right, they were stacked and they failed. So, that means they should never sign another good player, because what’s the point? that’s your logic? no team should sign Harper because he didn’t win with the Nats? weak argument, dude
Pete Kozma has more WS rings than Harper, Machado, and Trout combined. Thus, Kozma is better than all of those players, obviously. Nats just need to sign Kozma, then instant World Series ring.
Yes, that’s one asinine way to comprehend what is being said, just sign Pete Kozma.
Neither player wants the Sox or Phillies as I’ve stated before and the longer this drags on the more evident that is. Give him a deadline to accept or decline and move on
He is gunna sign with the White Sox. 7 years $200 mil with a player opt after the 3rd year. $33 mil AAV for the first 3 years.
Phils will easily bid more than that
How is Arizona considered a mid market if Phoenix has the 5th largest population in the US?
Same for Atlanta…one of the largest populations in the US but Braves have been a small/mid market team for decades. Ownership group that owns Braves only views them as an assett and strictly runs payroll as a profit margin. That and some bad TV deal they signed wont ever allow them to grow….maybe it’s the same scenario in AZ
There are many ways to win. Optimizing one’s income is one of them. Some of the best fans in the world have been exploited in this way. The times — in certain ways — they aren’t a-changin’.
I remember when we got more Braves games each year on TBS then we did Padre games. Same with Cubs with WGN… Those teams still enjoy nation wide fan bases and that stuff stopped 15-20 years ago
Let the fans see the product and they will become loyal
Because the Dbacks bring in 2mil fans annually whereas the “large market” teams (LA SF CHC BOS NY) are closer to 3mil consistently.
Because everybody in Phoenix is from somewhere else, so they root for some other team.
It’s not just about the home city population. It’s the region size and regional population.
don’t forget hype and ignorance
If the teams were ran better -or- the billionaires spent a little more, they wouldn’t have to hide and make the fans believe they are a small market when they are not. There are plenty of fans and plenty of money
Phoenix has a history of bad actors running their sports franchises
Article says the Astros have $ for Machado, but no infield need. So… why are we not hearing any link between the Astros and Bryce Harper? That seems to be a good match for a team on the cusp of the World Series, but could use a little more firepower to stave off the BoSox.
And a team that really could use a big lefty bat in the middle of the 6 good RH they have. Houston is pretty close to Vegas. With huge money coming to Bregman Correa Astro’s May only be inclined to offer a 2 year high AAV deal like 38-40 mil per.
I think there aren’t many teams interested because he wants to play SS and most teams only want him as 3B. Probably the main reason the Yankees haven’t signed him.
How about the mystery team is an illusion created to entice additional offers? That’s my guess and I bet Philadelphia and Chicago just a waiting game until pitchers and catchers report.
Given Machado’s stated preference to play SS, it seems the Chi Sox are still the favorites to land him.
Machado and Cano in the same infield. That would make for an interesting summer.
I feel like double sets of quotes should be used for “”Mystery Teams””
Its the Braves Swanson failed
I don’t think the Jays are realistic landing spots but Atkins on radio was recently really coy when it was pointed out to him a long Harper/Machado contract would align with the timetable of the new core. It may be just throwaway stuff but I thought somewhat notable because at the beginning of the off season, Atkins was straightforwardly saying no to questions about those two.
If Cabrera is 100 percent, Tigers may make an effort to win Central. Since Harper is a Boras client, they might go in that direction. SS Iglesias may come back at a lower price.
What????? Man that’s pretty wishful thinking.
As a Pirates fan, I wish they’d just go for it and sign him. Really, there’s not a lot to lose. They have extra money to spend, and still don’t have a big payroll. He’d fill an absolute glaring hole and would give fans hope and a reason to go to the games.
It’s very pitiful seeing the Reds, who finished with a worse record and play in the same market, go out and make tons of moves to contend while the Pirates are literally asleep.
The Pirates rotation is above average and the lineup can be potentially good:
2B Frazier
CF Marte
SS Machado
LF Dickerson
RF Polanco/Frazier while Polanco recovers
C Cervelli
1B Bell
3B Kang/Moran
That’s a deep lineup. Also I’d think about trading Dickerson once Polanco is healthy. He is a babip fueled hitter with little discipline. Maybe try and get a slugging 1B or another starter.
It won’t kill them to have a payroll slightly over 100M and it would pay off with a better team and more fans at the park. Also more players would want to sign with Machado.
As a Phillies fan I hope the Pirates sign Machado as well.
The Pirates are NOT committing the dollars and Machado won’t sign where his contract will hinder an organization from fielding a consistent competitive team. Next…….
Sometimes the smart money isn’t the money left in your wallet.
I wish Mike Illitch was alive.
He’d write that check
The Tigers have some smart baseball wise leaders at the top. I’m sure the owner will back their advice with dollars. You can be sure they have a game plan.
Theory for the Orioles.
They have 0 reasons in the field to not add Machado. They’re not spending any money outside of Davis, so the investment in Machado would go on pretty clean financial books. They have precisely no reasons for anyone to watch them play this year, Machado provides at least some draw for ticket sales. But more convincingly to me, if the deal could be structured to pay outlandishly up front – say $37 mil for a couple years and then drop to the 17-20 range for the duration, they’d have a cornerstone player at below-market value for their rebuild. On a side note, all teams in rebuilds should “overpay” young Free Agents like Machado or Harper and frontload contracts, then as they go about roster building in the future they have positions locked up below=market (or at market as the player declines).
Disclaimer = I am not an Orioles fan, so this isn’t pie-in-the-sky.
Angelos is too damned cheap to go there. Balmer is looking at a second consecutive 100+ loss season.
Peter is not in charge anymore, his sons are. I think it makes sense for the O’s to bring Manny back. They will need someone to draw tickets. I remember the 6-7 years ago, the Orioles were horrible and no one went to the games. My daughter would run up and down the aisles because we were the only ones in a bleachers. It will be the same way unless they have something beside promotions to bring fans in.
B-A-L-T-I-M…
You mean B-A-L-T-I-L-E-S-S!!!
Whether people praise Machado or speak ill of him, it has been a while since baseball has had such a polarizing figure. Machado is great for baseball. Even people who claim they sorta hate him, act quite similar to immature junior high boys that mistreat the girl they have a crush on. For me, it is quite entertaining to watch the vitriolic hate that spews and sputters forth from these insecure fans. I hope he becomes the face of some small or medium market team like the Padres or Twins. Whoever pays will get a player who should only get better and better. Remember, Manny was 25 last year! Maturity will come with age.
Of course Machado fits the Mariner’s timeline. He’s 26. They expect to be competitive within two years.
Machado can play 3B and the M’s are anxious to move Kyle Seager’s contract.
They have the money, as they’ve moved off most of their big-money guys and Felix Hernandez is in the last year of his contract.
It would be a brilliant move for the M’s to sign Machado now. When else are they going to get a talent that good in a position of need (3B) where they also have no minor league depth.
But they’d have to convince Machado that their “reimagining” isn’t just a real imagination, and Machado prefers shortstop.
Still say nyy,a combination of Money and Winning plus sticking it to his old team,the yanks will find a place for him
The way in which the Mariners were systematically ignored in this review shows how little attention the Mariners get by this site and many others. So we are talking about a mystery team for Machado… A team that is good at keeping a lid on everything, a team that can bring a player into their city for a face-to-face interview and have nobody hear about it. As in how the Mariners just brought Kikuchi into Seattle on New Year’s Eve and worked a deal out in a matter of hours worth 7 years and close to $110M?
Sure the first reaction is to say, of course not, because nobody in the media wants to acknowledge that Seattle is not as fun as him going to the White Sox with his brother-in-law or New York to make him the highest paid two hitter in baseball history. But we need to take what we know about this situation.
Let’s dismiss all teams that have never spent $200M on a contract with their current front office. I don’t think that $252M for A-Rod in 2000 is a relevant contract since nobody affiliated with it still resides in the decision making circle of the Rangers, ditto the Tigers and Ilitch (since he passed and his spending was about 1 more championship), and of course the Marlins and Stanton’s deal. You don’t shave good young players off your roster for crap, only to turn around and spend even more. Stanton is Latino for that matter, as well as white, and black, so if they weren’t keeping him to bond all fans to the team, it is safe to say they aren’t going to bring in Manny because he is local or Latino.
So the teams that have even entertained such an offer for any player are the following: Nationals, Reds, Cubs, Cardinals (because they were willing to trade for Stanton), Giants (same as Cards), Dodgers (same as Giants and Cards), Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and Mariners.
We can rule out the following teams because they have no space for Machado on their roster due to position or salary: Nationals (Turner/Rendon/Dozier), Reds (salary), Cubs (salary, Russell/Baez/Bryant), Cards (Carpenter/DeJong/Wong/Gyorko), Dodgers (Turner/Seager/Muncy), Giants (Longoria/Crawford/Panik, and salary), Yankees (Torres/Andujar/Didi/DJ/Tulo), Red Sox (Pedroia/Bogaerts/Devers, salary at $246M already), and Angels (salary especially with Trout extension looming and ballpark uncertainty).
What is left is your mystery team: Seattle Mariners
Now strip away your own fandom and look at the facts, the teams were excluded for salary, position flexibility, and historical spending habits, etc. Logic was used to drill down through all this… Could the Athletics spend $300M? Sure they could, but that doesn’t mean they will, they won’t even keep their own stars, so what should make us think they would pay for someone else’s talent?
The Mariners have given out the 3rd biggest guaranteed contract of the off season and if they pull the trigger on the option after year three, it’ll be the biggest behind only Corbin’s deal so far. If they are not spending, why did they invest in a long term and expensive free agent? Because they will still be in their prime 2 years from now and they still want to win every year, even if this year is a long shot. Most importantly, the front office is run by partners that love Mariner baseball, they want a championship and do not care about making a profit. Their goal is to run the team a zero profit/zero loss. If they can cover a $190M payroll without losing money, then they want to spend to that level if the talent justifies the investment. Jason A. Churchill at prospectinsider.com just produced an accurate representation of their current payroll including Kikuchi.
prospectinsider.com/seattle-mariners-payroll-updat…
Over the last couple years, the Mariners have been able to afford $175M in payroll, as they have spent around $160M/season and always have a little extra if they need it. So technically they are about $40M below that threshold and they still have pieces to move. So $$$ is not the issue. Being a mystery team that nobody can figure out (Kikuchi), yeah they check that box too. But most important is how Manny’s father said it would be the team you least expect and they have the best offer on the table. Sure the Marlins or Royals qualify as teams you least expect, but would you bet on them spending $200-300M or more? Of course not, but nobody thinks the Mariners would sign him, yet they have the biggest need at SS and can move him to 3B if they trade Seager during the season, then bring up Crawford who now has an extra season of control. I have to believe that if the Mariners could spend in the upper $160M range over the last couple seasons, Manny would outshine Cano as a star in terms of memorabilia and ticket sales, plus the new T-Mobile deal adds a $7M/season revenue stream.
It’s a stretch, but could be.
This may be the longest single post I’ve ever seen on MLBTR and on top of it, the post is lucid and thoughtful.
Yeah, sorry for the length, but I felt there were facets to this argument that needed to be touched on or else my argument wouldn’t have been very compelling. I appreciate you referring to it as lucid and thoughtful as I try to be honest and fair.
Sorry, you’re off the mark. Just because you wish it to be true does not make it so.
I think you meant to respond to the Yankee and White Sox theories. His dad said the biggest offer is from a team that has not been talked about. So the White Sox and the Yankees can’t be the team he suspects will sign his son. Also, everyone on here keeps saying they think the mystery team is the White Sox or the Yankees? Not much of a mystery, right?
Ya I agree definitely not the Mariners.
Definitely means 100%, how can you be 100% sure about something, when you only know 5-10% of the details? You can say I doubt it or I disagree because, but support your thought process besides the fact that the media says the Phillies and the White Sox! Cano was supposed to sign with the Yankees, Kikuchi was supposed to sign with the Padres, Dodgers, or Angels, but nope he didn’t. Remember when everyone thought Pujols was going to the Marlins to be the Latino veteran to lead the clubhouse? How about when Corbin was going home to New York and was going to be a Yankee after rooting for them all his life? Oh hey, Philly!
Nice. What contract offer could you foresee?
Machado wants over $325M. So if the Mariners had thrown $330 over 11 years on the table, the Mariners would have already done a press conference and Machado would be looking for a home on the east side of Lake Washington. That being said, I think we have to assume at least two teams have gone north of $200M because otherwise Lozano would look like an idiot if nothing else materialized.
So I put the White Sox on $175/7 years, this has been a number thrown around in the press and I think it’s believable. I also believe the White Sox were hoping for a discount when they signed Jay and Alonso. The Yankees probably offered $200/10 years early on, but I think DJ and Tulo signings indicate that they have moved on. Most importantly, I would never be so vocal in my pursuit of a player if I legit wanted to sign him, that’s how I’d act if I wanted my fans to believe we were doing everything to get him. Would they take him if he fell in their laps? Absolutely, but I don’t think the White Sox or the Phillies are as likely to throw “stupid’ money at it, as the press and fans think,
That being said I think the Phillies are probably one team north of $200M, but I’ll say $240/8 years. But Machado doesn’t really want to be a 3B, he wants to play SS and he really wants Stanton money. With Segura and Hernandez on the infield and Kingery on the bench, it makes sense that Maikel Franco is the odd man out in the infield.
I think the Mariners are the high bidder right now. I feel like they are in the $270/9 years ($30M/year) range. It’s enough that the dad thinks no other team will beat it, but it’s still shy of where he wants to be in terms of total dollars. I think the Mariners will sign him eventually and it will be like the $330/11 years, but it will be a “swell deal” like Kikuchi signed. $170/5 years ($34M/yr) with an option where he can either walk away or add three years at a slightly lower average ($33.33M) bringing the total contract to $270/8 years, which is the current offer minus a year. However in subtracting a year and adding a player option the Mariners probably get a “swell option” in return. This allows the Mariners to replace the $100M/3 year option with a $160/6 year option essentially allowing them to keep him at a lower average salary ($26.7M/year), but over a greater amount of time. The combined options also allow him to claim the largest contract agreement in baseball history during his Mariner press conference.
I think it’s easier at this point to identify the ‘Mystery Teams not linked to Machado’….I’m gonna go with Braves and the Marlins, probably about it ha!
It’s clearly the Padres
I like the idea of the Padres more and more. Machado is just entering his prime and his numbers are showing very encouraging signs of improvement: more power, more walks, the defense at third is elite. The Padres need to give something to their fans and it seems they could work out a deal that allows his first few years to be at lower salaries and then they jump after Hosmer is gone. By the time he’s expensive the prospects who pan out will still be in their pre-arb years and Machado could be the star they build around. It’s a pipe dream, probably, but Padres fans really are getting frustrated with this team that is just pocketing profits at this point without spending on the team.
Can they just sign already? My excitement as a Phillies fan has nearly vanished.
As a lifelong twins fan and reading reports that we are in on both Harper and Machado, just gotta say I highly doubt they will come to Minnesota, no matter the payroll flexibility. Yes out pitching is good and core players are there, the market isnt big enough and the Pohlads would have a heart attack before shelling out major contracts to anyone not named Mauer.
No “mystery” is going to outbid the White Sox or Phillies for Machado. Agents generate rumors like this to leverage higher contracts from interested parties.
If Manny had another team(s) interested, he’d be better served by naming them. In lieu of having other interested team(s), you’d go with the ‘mystery team’ speil.
prediction is signs with the marlins then is traded to the yankees in two years.
Good morning all….I think there are mystery teams…since this has been dragging on and it feels like (none of us really know), that just maybe the outside teams think, hey, we might be able to afford these guys…
There isn’t a mystery team. Machado’s camp is waiting for a better team to come along and drive up the price. Unless he’s willing to take a huge discount to go to NY (he won’t) he’s going to have to settle for Chicago or Philly. Probably Chicago. Maybe he should look for a 1 year $35 M deal
I could see a couple more teams interested if his ask was 4 years at 37 mil. Have incentives like 5,6 options if he wins mvp. If his ask was that at the very start he’d probably already would have signed a 5 or 6 year deal at the highest AAV ever thus far. Asking for 300 mil+ caused other teams to move on very early.
Strongly suspect the Brewers are the darkhorse here. Mark Anastaio has done exceptionally well in the real estate development market this last decade and is on record over half a dozen times trying to significantly expand payroll. All Stearns needs to do is decide he wants Machado and he has the green light to go along with his shiny new long-term contract and promotion he signed yesterday. Though I would suspect Machado plays ss w/ arcia, 2b and, occasional, 3b.
Except the whole team hates Machado. This just doesn’t make sense. They haven’t spent big money $100M or more., the players on the team don’t like Manny, and he is going to get a better contract than Milwaukee can offer with all those players making good contracts and lots of guys going through arb soon.
This is a pretty good analysis, but like others, I suspect the true market for Machado (and Harper) is a lot less than has been publicly discussed, and there aren’t really any “mystery teams” other than the White Sox and the Phils. With the market so soft, any team on the outside of that can hang back and wait for more concrete developments; otherwise, they’re needlessly bidding against themselves.
If Philly and Harper are negotiating behind the scenes, they’re taking a long time to do it; and if they’re not negotiating, it suggests an offer is not forthcoming.
What would be great is if nobody signed him or Harper.
But then they would keep talking about them and where they fit best all year, I don’t think I could stand more of that.
No mystery, the team that makes the biggest offer will get Machado and Harper…assuming no collusion happens.
Neither Machado or Harper seem to be getting their asking price. Which is why I’d stay away from both. They will be bitter with whatever team they sign based on thinking they are worth more and the team/owner is cheap. Great way to start a long term relationship.
Florida signs him to an astronomical contract and then trades him soon thereafter because they can’t afford him…
The best long term for imo is the Padres. They have lots of Pitching and other positions coming from a very strong farm system so but not really any third baseman. If they don’t get Machado I look for them to be big time players on Arenado next year. The Padres make the most sense as a mystery team to me.
I think the Padres are the mystery team. They have plenty of payroll flexibility, they are close to getting out of their rebuild, and could really use that veteran presence in the lineup that Hosmer isn’t bringing.
Brewers no
Cards maybe
Padres no
Angels no
Gonna be Dodgers or Yankees.
The strange thing here is that the Cubs seem to be the best fit for Machado yet somehow are sitting this out. With their window closing quickly and Machado market not developing, I am surprised Theo hasn’t gotten the go ahead to explore his interest in the Cubs. Maybe he has and they are a mystery team but it sure doesn’t sound that way. I think it’s unimaginable why the Cubs wouldn’t have this a top priority. Why leave yourself one piece short of a division favorite? Not just that. Why help the White Sox take the Chicago spotlight.
The Cubs not being involved makes no sense and I feel like I’ve thought of every angle. Financial, future commitments and luxury tax ramifications, etc. I can’t figure this one out.
It’s real simple. Currently, the Cubs stand at $204.5M in payroll for 2019. They also have Bryant, Baez and Schwarber, just to name 3, that they likely might want to extend. Also, they will need pitching for 2020 and beyond. That is their biggest concern, not a SS that they frankly don’t need.
The Cubs are in a tough position long-term already. They are not going to be able to resign everyone. They have a huge need at SS with Addison Russell currently manning the position. The Brewers are coming up fast. 2019 is a great year to make a final statement with this group before inevitably having to move on from some of these guys.
But they are not like the Red Sox who will still have massive money on the books. In 2020 their payroll drops to 121. In 2021, 63.5. They have plenty of long-term flexibility even if they add Machado at 8/$240 and would launch them a step ahead of the rest. They will be able to resign guys they want to and still keep payroll below $200 mil next year if that’s what they want. Luxury tax thresholds will continue to rise. Keeping Bryant and Baez while signing Machado isn’t unthinkable. Also, as indicated by the fact that he’s still a Cub, the Cubs value Schwarber more then the rest of the league. They’ve tried numerous times to move him, never getting an offer that they liked. I don’t think resigning him will be a top priority minus a huge jump in his numbers. But I’m not from Chicago, so I’m not sure what the feeling is out there.
Also, if Bryant can’t bounce back and regain his power from this shoulder injury on a consistent basis, they may especially need Machado.
I appreciate your point. Just heartily disagree.
The Cubs need pitching. Both now and long term. I’m not a Cubs fan either, but Machado isn’t even on my radar if I’m the Cubs. I think he’s a “me” player, and that’s not what you want on your team.
They may be in for a Reds-like transformation with the all offense, no pitching type team sometime in the next couple of years if they decide to use their money to extend Rizzo, Baez, Bryant, etc. Not much in terms of pitching depth in the farm and the long-term pitching investments haven’t worked out so far the last couple of years.
There are none. The only reason agents even suggest the existence of a “mystery team” is so that team can’t call b.s. if they didn’t make the offer.
If I’m a GM, I say “Go ahead and sign with the ‘mystery team’ then.”
Big mistake. It’s like trying to coax a squirrel over to you. You don’t need any BIG SUDDEN MOVEMENTS to scare him away.
The Angels were very much a mystery team when they signed Pujols.
Padres make the most sense, but budget wise they’d probably need to find a taker for Myers and his contract which obviously hasn’t happened yet.
So fun being a Pirates fan.
If the Pirates were to trade Cervelli for a bag of rocks, their payroll would be such that they could sign Machado at $35 million per year and still be under $100,000,000. Give him $35 mil per for ten years, Then have a mutual opt out after year three, another after year 5, etc. That way Machado can get out after year three or year five and get back into the market. The Pirates can get out if they do not want to pay him that much anymore. In the meantime, Pittsburgh gets him for the next three years along with Marte, Polanco, Archer, Taillon, Vazquez…a team that could actually compete.
Machado takes the Pirates from a 80 win team to an 86 win team all by himself. Now you are suddenly talking about wildcard contention. Those six wins, from 80 to 86, would be very significant.
The Pirates are in desperate need of a shortstop. Machado should have no problem playing that position for the next 3-5 years.
But everyone in baseball knows that as much sense as it would make, and as much as the Pirates could actually do it, they won’t. Because Pirates. because Nutting. Because being terminally average and trying to catch lightning in a bottle is more important than actually trying to contend for something more.
ugh.
I can’t think of any but can you sight the example of a player taking up 35% of the payroll and the team actually winning. Lots of cases can be sighted for it not working and the contract being albatross though.
What does it matter? As long as there is a mutual option at some point, the Pirates can duck out of it. I can see it being an albatross in year 6-10. Very tough to see it being an albatross at year 3 (where I propose the first mutual option) or by year 5 (where I propose the second).
Answer me this. If Manny Machado continues to be a 6 WAR or so player for the next three years, do you think he would help the Pirates challenge at least for a wild card spot? If the answer is yes, they why not do it?
I feel like the texas rangers will walk away with him. Doesnt make alot of sense, on the surface. But theyre current 3rd baseman is wisdom or asdrubal cabrera. And they have uncertain future at ss with andrus. Theyre going into new stadium in 2020 with their biggest star currently andrus. They intend to return to relevance by 2021 at which time machado still wont be 30 and still have 5-8 yrs remaining. And they dont have a ton of money on payroll after 2020.
Oh Man, the Twins?? Thanks for the humor guys. While they do have the deep pockets you mention, they have very short arms… and I doubt Manny would play up here for 50 mil. per.
I think the Yankees know Manny wants to play for them. And I think Manny would also feel good playing for the White Sox. But what is going to happen if none of the teams with larger pockets put a more “market-value” suitcase of money on the table? I wouldn’t want to jump ahead of the possibilities coming, but I am surprised nobody has yet whispered the dreaded “C-word” — collusion. I don’t agree with that assessment as things stand, but if the rumors have any bearing, and things play out at far below market value, this will become a major talking point.
And anyone who thinks it is above the owners to do this, well, they really don’t know the history of major league baseball. One need only look at when free agency was first implemented, and recently, the refusal of any team to sign a still productive Barry Bonds.
Padres 8/225m for Machado if he agrees to play 3rd base.
I believe the Dodgers will step up and sign either Machado or Harper if they pull off the Realmuto trade. They’ll have to give up either Pederson or Verdugo, and either young catcher Diaz or Smith and then a pitcher..
Then they will have made room for another position player.
If they trade Smith, Joc and maybe P Ferguson and sign Harper the line up would
be
1. Verdugo, RF
2. Seager, SS
3. Turner, 3B
4. Harper, OF
5. Realmuto, C
6. Bellinger, CF
7. Muncy, 1B
8. Taylor, 2B
Bench
C-IF. Barnes
IF. Freeze
IF-OF, Hernandez
OF, Toles.
C, Martin
Limited platoon with the righty-lefty line-up. I think the Dodgers wanna settle with more regulars than previous years. I think Verdugo and Taylor may be the only guys not really full time.
One more note… they sign Bryce for 6 years for around $210 million for highest yearly average… or similar..
The Padres could easily handle a contract for Machado he fills there biggest need. The rest of their infield looks set for years to come. They have depth at catcher, they have quite a few outfielders, and they have a ton pitchers coming. It’s not real tough to see the Padres looking like a very good baseball team by the 2020 season. There prospects will have to pan out but I think they are in a great position and should be contenders by 2020 they should sign Manny Machado makes the most sense to me.
Agree with you brother. I would forget the Hosmer contract if we got Machado.
Kind of funny some people think the Rangers or Pirates can get him. I am begging you get drug tested.
I think Manny is waiting on the Yanks. I’m thinking Cashman told him to hold tight to see if he can pull off some trades first amd free up some money.
What if the Twins somehow got him. A Schoop and Machado infield – recreating baltimore.
Hey, it worked well the first time.
No, wait…
Bluejays are about to sign Machado and Vlad Jr is getting his release right afterwards.
Manny’s a good villain, something modern baseball is kinda lacking. I hope he winds up with a competitive, scrappy, working-class kind of team. like the old Schilling/Kruk/Dykstra Phillies. If the Phillies want to be big ballers again, they should try and hearken back to that image & sign Machado.
GO GET MACHADO ANGELS.
If you can sell him on Trout and get a deal for him than do it. It’s easy to pitch Orange County over Philly and South side Chicago. Like no wonder this has dragged on, why would anyone want to play in those cities?
Ya’all know Machado is going KBO
How about a super shocker where Jeter sees himself in Machado and puts the brakes on the rebuild to bring him in. Meanwhile, Jeter decides to keep Realmuto.
Trust me, as a Met fan, this is no fantasy of mine.
Pirates
If the Angels signed Machado they would only be on the hook for the 3 mega salaries in 2021? Huh. In case you hadn’t noticed Trout is going to make $67 million over the next two years.