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Signing Manny Machado is the Best Path to a Dominant Rotation

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They’re talking about winning the World Series in the Bronx. (Getty Images)

The Yankees did not sign this year’s top free agent starting pitcher: Patrick Corbin will instead have six tries to help the Washington Nationals win their first playoff series. Many Yankee fans, myself included, believed that Corbin represented the Yanks’ best path to creating a dominant rotation—but the reality is that he was never the only option. The Indians are reportedly “increasingly motivated” to move Corey Kluber (and another very good but not-to-be-named starter) and the Yankees should do everything they can to acquire him.

That will not be easy. The Yankees once stacked farm system has depleted significantly over the last several years—and even if that depletion was for all of the right reasons, it significantly complicates any effort to trade for an ace. But it is not impossible. If the Yankees decide to flex their financial muscles and sign Manny Machado, it will make available precisely the type of talent needed to trade for a pitcher of Corey Kluber’s status. Let’s break this one down step-by-step.

Signing Machado

Dreaming of NYC. (Maddie Meyer/Getty)

The case to sign Machado, of course, is a simple one to make. The 26-year-old should be one of the most coveted free agents in MLB history, boasting a career .282/.335/.487 (120 wRC+) line in just over 4,000 plate appearances. Like Bryce Harper (who they should also sign), he is just now entering his prime—meaning he should, in theory at least, be as good as he’ll ever be in the next four seasons or so.

That alone should put him on every team’s radar. The fact that he has posted a wRC+ greater than 130 in three of the last four seasons (with the fourth being a down year in 2017 that was clearly an outlier) ought to only sweeten the deal. In each of those seasons, he has hit at least 33 home runs. And last year, when he hit .297/.367/.548 (141 wRC+) with 37 home runs, was the most productive of his career.

Machado is about as good as it gets offensively. Defensively, the story is a bit murkier—but it doesn’t have to be. He switched positions from third to short in 2018 with mixed results. He struggled with the analytically-inept Baltimore Orioles but, if the data is to believed, he seemed to benefit from better positioning in Los Angeles. As a third baseman, though, Machado is as impressive a defender as I can remember seeing, an observation supported by most defensive metrics.

Even though he prefers shortstop (his natural position), Machado is reportedly willing to shift back to the hot corner if it meant playing in the Bronx. That is exactly what the Yankees should insist, and not just the Yanks are loaded with groundball pitchers and struggle with infield defense. Doing so would also allow the Yankees to slide Gleyber Torres to short until Didi Gregorius returns while slotting Machado in at third—opening up Miguel Andújar to be the centerpiece in a package for a top-shelf starting pitcher like Corey Kluber.

Saying Goodbye to Miggy Mantle

Don’t worry: you’ll be reunited at the ASG. (Jim McIsaac/Getty)

The case to trade Andújar, unlike signing Machado, is a bit more difficult to make. Miggy Mantle burst onto the scene in 2018, hitting .297/.328/.527 (128 wRC+) with 27 home runs in just over 600 plate appearances. His ability to make hard contact on almost any pitch and drive it is a rare offensive skill—and it is the reason why he hit so many balls for extra bases in 2018. Andújar quickly became one of my favorite Yanks, and it is hard to imagine what the 2018 squad would have been like without Andújar’s steady performance.

But that does not mean that it would not make sense to say goodbye. Andújar’s defense is a work in progress to put it kindly, and that was enough to have him be replaced in the 6th (!) inning of the Wild Card Game this October for defensive reasons. That the team didn’t start or pinch hit him in the deciding game of the ALDS suggests that these worries may run deep in the front office—even if that decision, in my opinion, was an obvious tactical blunder.

Andújar will start 2019 at age 24—but Machado will begin the season at age 26. In fact, replacing Andújar with Machado is one of the few ways where the Yankees would get a significant defensive upgrade in the infield without sacrificing any offensive value, and Machado is an even better hitter than Andújar to boot.

Miggy’s trade value figures to be about as high as any player in the league—any 23 year-old who put up those offensive numbers at the league minimum salary will get teams interested. Even with his obvious defensive warts, another team may see a way to improve his defense at the hot corner, or perhaps they see a future for him in left field ala Ryan Braun or at first base. But in any case, Andújar is the type of talent who commands a large return.

Welcoming Corey Kluber

His number has some meaning. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty)

The pertinent question, now, is if a package based around Andújar would be enough to entice Cleveland to say goodbye to one of the best pitchers in baseball. The 32-year-old ace has won two of the last five AL Cy Youngs—finishing no lower than 3rd in overall voting with one win in the last three years—and it is clear why. Since 2014, Kluber has posted a 2.85 ERA (152 ERA+) with a 2.84 FIP over 1091.1 innings. He has struck out more than 10 batters per 9 in that with less than 2 walks per 9 innings across that stretch, with a WHIP just barely over 1. There are few signs of decline: he is just one of the best pitchers in the league.

If Cleveland will be cheap enough to ship him off in a trade while in the middle of their own (alleged) title run, then the Yankees should simply do everything they can to bring him to the Bronx—even if that means trading one of the league’s most exciting young pieces. Cleveland has a very good infield as it is, but they did just trade for Josh Donaldson last year, so they have been willing to add offense to that infield as recently as last summer.

On the Yankees side, the need is obvious. Adding Kluber as the final piece of a rotation that already includes Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia would position the Yankees to have a truly dominating staff in 2019 and 2020. To me, that’s easily worth the haul it would take to get him, which would likely be Andújar+. Always trade your prospects for dominating starting pitchers. Just look a bit to the north to see why.

Will it Happen?

To sum up, this plan involves shelling out a significant sum of money (likely more than $300 million) on Manny Machado and then turning around and trading one of their most exciting young (and thus cheapest) players. It still isn’t clear that the Yankees are willing to take on that much salary—though Kluber would be a steal at his current contract, especially compared to Patrick Corbin.

But what is clear is that this path is out there and isn’t that far-fetched. The Yankees have always had interest in Machado, and he’d take all of the sting away from losing Andújar. Meanwhile, the team would be in a position to get a starting pitching upgrade beyond any of our wildest dreams even eight weeks ago.

As Yankee Twitter’s Thought Leader and Official Friend of RAB™ put it the other day, a path like this is really the easiest and most straightforward way to create a roster that would likely be the World Series favorites on Opening Day. And if the Yankees spend as they can, they have the chance to add two prime-aged generational talents alongside one of the league’s best starting pitchers to their already loaded roster. It’s been a decade since the Yankees have won the championship, and now the only thing standing between them and their best shot since 2009 is Hal Steinbrenner’s willingness to spend.

Scouting the Free Agent Market: Manny Machado

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(Sean M. Haffey/Getty)

The 2018-19 free agent class has the potential to change the landscape of baseball. In Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, there are two 26-year-old mega-talents available for nothing but cash (and, in Harper’s case, a draft pick and international bonus money), and those guys do not come around often. They have the ability to sway a division race, a pennant race, and a World Series race all by themselves. They’re that good.

The Yankees are in the business of acquiring superstars — or at least they used to be at one point — and they have kinda sorta been connected to Machado in recent weeks. Although he’s never come out and said it — he couldn’t while playing for other teams — it is pretty much an open secret Machado wants to play for the Yankees one day. He and special advisor Alex Rodriguez are close and I imagine A-Rod will go to bat for him.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Hal (Steinbrenner) or (Brian) Cashman, but I know ownership is as hungry as ever to put a great product and winner on the field,” said A-Rod to Dan Martin earlier this month. “… He’s a great player and he’s young and has played well in the AL East. But Hal and Cashman would be right to do a deep dive on any player, whether it’s someone making the minimum or if it’s a big free agent like Manny.”

Machado is undeniably talented — he’s no worse than a top ten player in my opinion, if not top five — and undeniably polarizing. Much of that is his own fault. Some of it is general sports talk tomfoolery. Machado would make the Yankees a better team because he’d make every single team a better team. Does he fit the roster? Is the price right? What does he do from here? Those are all valid questions. Let’s break it all down.

Background

Machado grew up in Miami and he was the third overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft. The Nationals took Harper first overall, the Pirates took Jameson Taillon second overall, and the Orioles took Machado third overall. He was drafted out of high school in June 2010 and was called up to the big leagues in August 2012. Machado spent parts of seven seasons with the Orioles before being traded to the Dodgers at this year’s deadline.

In 926 career games Machado is a .282/.335/.487 (120 wRC+) hitter with 175 homers. He’s a four-time All-Star — a four-time deserving All-Star, not a token “well, the crummy Orioles need an All-Star” All-Star — and a two-time Gold Glover who’s received MVP votes in three seasons, and has finished as high as fourth in the MVP voting. Seven non-first base infielders in baseball history have racked up at least +30 WAR through their age 25 season. The list:

  1. Rogers Hornsby: +46.9 WAR
  2. Alex Rodriguez: +46.4 WAR
  3. Arky Vaughan: +39.4 WAR
  4. Eddie Mathews: +39.0 WAR
  5. Eddie Collins: +36.9 WAR
  6. Cal Ripken Jr.: +34.6 WAR
  7. Manny Machado: +33.8 WAR

Roberto Alomar fell just short at +29.6 WAR through his age 25 season. Including Alomar, that’s six Hall of Famers, one player with a Hall of Fame resume who probably won’t get in due to performance-enhancing drug ties, and Manny Machado. That’s the kind of career trajectory we’re talking about here. Players who do what Machado has done at such a young age tend to become all-time greats.

Offensive Performance

Machado made his MLB debut 34 days after his 20th birthday and it took him some time (about 1,200 plate appearances) to settle in at the big league level. He hit .278/.313/.434 (103 wRC+) in 1,266 plate appearances from 2012-14. Since then he’s authored a .284/.345/.511 (128 wRC+) batting line in 2,808 plate appearances, including a career best .297/.367/.538 (141 wRC+) line with 37 homers in 2018.

Here are the last four seasons of Machado’s career, offensively:

PA AVG/OBP/SLG wRC+ XBH HR K% BB% wRC+ vs. RHP wRC+ vs. LHP
2015 713 .286/.359/.502 135 66 35 15.6 9.8 145 107
2016 696 .294/.343/.533 131 78 37 17.2 6.9 126 146
2017 690 .259/.310/.471 103 67 33 16.7 7.2 99 115
2018 709 .297/.367/.538 141 75 37 14.7 9.9 139 145

That 2017 season sticks out like a sore thumb, doesn’t it? Machado had a brutal May and June that year, hitting .214/.265/.422 (76 wRC+) with a .223 BABIP and a .330 xwOBA in 223 plate appearances. He bounced back with a .295/.329/.513 (119 wRC+) batting line (.294 BABIP and .376 xwOBA) in 365 plate appearances the rest of the season. Two brutal months dragged down his overall performance.

Aside from May and June 2017, two terrible months that happened and cost his team games, Machado has been a true impact hitter these last four years. He hits for average, he hits for power, he doesn’t strike out excessively, and he punishes righties and lefties. And, if you care about such things, Machado is a career .311/.378/.526 (134 wRC+) hitter with runners in scoring position. The guy is a true middle of the order force.

The only thing holding Machado back offensively is his walk rate. Despite his ability to make contact and hit for power, Machado’s yet to make the jump into the Mike Trout pantheon of hitters because he doesn’t walk a whole lot. His pushed a 10% walk rate this past season and that’s good. Ideally, Machado would get up into the 12% to 14% range going forward. That’d turn him into .380 OBP guy, or even a .400 OBP guy, rather than a .350 OBP guy.

At the same time, you’d hate to take away the aggressiveness that makes Machado the hitter he is today. His ability to get the barrel on the ball and drive it with authority is rare and you’d hate to have him take pitches just for the sake of taking pitching and drawing walks. Machado is only 26. He turned 26 in July. Hopefully as he enters what should be his peak years, he develops a little more discipline and draws more walks. If not, well, he’s still pretty awesome.

I should also note Machado has never been much of a basestealer. His career high is 20 steals in 2015 and he did that in 28 chances (71% success rate). He went 14-for-16 stealing bags this year and it was only the second time in his seven MLB seasons that he reached double digit steals. Here’s what FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus say about Machado’s overall baserunning:

  • 2015: +1.2 runs (FG) and +3.4 runs (BP)
  • 2016: +0.1 runs (FB) and +0.0 runs (BP)
  • 2017: -5.0 runs (FB) and -4.1 runs (BP)
  • 2018: +1.2 runs (FB) and +0.9 runs (BP)

A tick above-average aside from 2017. The league average extra base taken rate — that’s going first-to-third on a single, scoring from first on a double, etc. — is 40%. From 2015-18, Machado’s extra-base taken rates were 43%, 52%, 37%, and 50%. That 2017 season looks a miserable down year all the way around. Good thing he didn’t become a free agent last offseason, eh? The 2018 season was a reminder that yes, Machado is a great player.

Defensive Performance

Machado is a natural shortstop. He was drafted as a shortstop and he played shortstop throughout the minors up until he was summoned to the big leagues and moved to third base in deference to J.J. Hardy. The Orioles had Machado play two (2) tune-up games at third base before his call-up and they were two months before he was actually called up. For all intents and purposes, the O’s threw him in the fire at the hot corner.

And Machado handled it far better than anyone could’ve reasonably expected a 20-year-old kid to handle an on-the-fly position change at the MLB level (while skipping Triple-A). He compiled +81 Defensive Runs Saved at third base from 2012-17, second most at the position. Nolan Arenado led with +104 DRS and Adrian Beltre was third at +56 DRS. This remains one of the most remarkable defensive plays I’ve ever seen:

Machado is a natural shortstop though, he never wanted to change positions, and this year the Orioles agreed to move him back to short. He played there briefly in 2015 (53 innings) and 2017 (380) while Hardy was hurt. This year the Orioles gave him the position full-time and, at first, it looked like a disaster. The numbers:

  • Machado with Orioles: -18 DRS and -7.2 UZR at short
  • Machado with Dodgers: +5 DRS and +0.8 UZR at short

When the Yankees played the Orioles this year, whenever a ball was hit Machado’s way, it seemed like he was on the ground. Diving or going to a knee to field a grounder, whatever. He was always on the ground. That wasn’t the case with the Dodgers. He looked quite good at short during is limited time in Los Angeles. Ken Rosenthal (subs. req’d) wrote the Dodgers used analytics to help Machado with his positioning, specifically by shading him more to his right.

To me, this is 100% believable. The Orioles have not been analytically savvy the last few years, far from it, and the Dodgers are pretty much the exact opposite. They are as smart and state of the art as any organization in the game. Machado rating poorly on defense with the Orioles then suddenly becoming a solid defender with the Dodgers doesn’t surprise me at all. He certainly wouldn’t be the first player the Dodgers have improved with analytics.

“I said all winter, after being away from shortstop for however many years, in his first few months at shortstop, he was not going to be the shortstop he would end up being,” said former Orioles infield instructor Bobby Dickerson to Rosenthal. “It was going to take all of Spring Training and actual games played to get to a point where he’s comfortable.”

That all makes sense to me. Machado had not played shortstop regularly in a long time and it took a little while to get back up to speed. Also, the Dodgers are a smarter and more well run organization than the Orioles, and they found ways to help Machado improve defensively. Both of those things can be true. Machado looked good enough defensively late this year that it’s easy to envision him staying at shortstop going forward.

And, of course, the fallback plan is moving Machado back to third base, where is a legitimate Gold Glove caliber defender. Shortstop is a young man’s position. Brandon Crawford and Jordy Mercer, both 31, were the only full-time shortstops age 30 or older in 2018. Machado is only 26. Sign him long-term and you have to expect him to finish his contract at another position. For now, I think you can count on him to play at least a few more years at short.

Injury History

Machado is only 26 but he’s already had surgery on both knees. He hit first base awkwardly (video) in September 2013 and tore ligaments in his right knee, and needed surgery. The procedure kept him out until May 2014. Then, in August 2014, Machado tore a ligament in his left knee while taking a swing (video). He had surgery and was ready for Opening Day 2015.

Surgery on both knees at such a young age is scary. The good news is Machado has had no injury problems, knees or otherwise, since. He played in 637 of 648 possible games from 2015-18 — that includes all 162 games in 2015, the year after the two knee surgeries, and another 162 games in 2018 — and his 2,808 plate appearances the last four years are 53 more than any other player.

For all intents and purposes, Machado has no injury history beyond the knee surgeries. He missed a game with a jammed finger in 2017 and another two games later that season after taking a pitch to the wrist. That’s pretty much it. Typically baseball player stuff. The knee surgeries are a red flag, especially since he plays positions that require so much mobility and quickness. The fact Machado’s been so durable since the knee surgeries is a positive sign.

Contract Estimates

Because he was traded at midseason, the Dodgers could not make Machado the qualifying offer, and therefore he is not tied to draft pick compensation this offseason. The compensation rules are pretty relaxed these days anyway — the Yankees will have to give up their second highest draft pick and $500,000 in 2019-20 international bonus money to sign a qualified free agent this offseason — and, when it comes to a player like Machado, giving up a draft pick should never be a dealbreaker. The contract estimates:

The average annual values are about the same. All right around $30M or so and that is the going rate for an elite player these days. There are five $30M+ per year players in baseball right now (Miguel Cabrera, Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Max Scherzer) and I am certain Machado and Harper will make it seven this offseason. (It could be eight if the Red Sox lock up Mookie Betts.)

The annual dollars are similar. The years are not. There’s a five-year gap between the shortest and longest contract protection! Imagine applying that to any other free agent. I feel like eight years is the absolute minimum for Machado with ten years most likely, and 14 years (taking him to age 40) not completely out of the question. Giancarlo Stanton set the benchmark at 13 years and $325M. Machado (and Harper) wouldn’t be wrong to use Stanton’s deal as a starting point in negotiations.

Keep in mind Machado’s contract will include an opt-out. Likely opt-outs. Plural. You can’t sign an elite free agent without giving him an opt-out these days. Even mid-range free agents like Ian Kennedy and Scott Kazmir managed to get opt-outs. Machado’s going to get at least one and probably more. I have to think his agent would like the time the (first) opt-out so that it allows him to become a free agent before his 30th birthday, so figure no later than after year three of his new contract.

The opt-outs will complicate the contract structure. Does the team front-load the contract to encourage Machado to opt-out and thus avoid paying for his decline years? Do they back-load the contract to try to get out of as much money as possible if he does opt-out? The former seems like a good idea, but don’t underestimate just how much an owner might want to push the bulk of the money as far away as possible. Same with the front office. Back-load the contract and the high-priced years will probably be some other general manager’s problem.

I think Machado is going to get at least ten years and $31M per season, with a bunch of opt-outs. That $31M per year would tie him with Cabrera for the largest average annual salary among position players, and ten years is kinda standard for a superstar free agent position player. A-Rod got ten years (twice!). Robinson Cano got ten years. Albert Pujols got ten years. Ten years for Machado is not unreasonable given his age. Those ten years would cover his age 26-35 seasons. Not bad at all.

Following the James Paxton trade, my quick math gives the Yankees about $25M to spend under the $206M luxury tax threshold, and that’s with Sonny Gray’s projected salary on the books. Realistically, there is no way the Yankees could sign Machado and stay under the threshold next year. They’d have to cheap out on pitching and unload a high-priced player (Stanton? Aroldis Chapman?) to make it work and I just don’t see it happening. Signing Machado would require going over the threshold.

Okay, Fine, Let’s Talk About Hustle And All That Other Stuff

I really don’t want to talk about this anymore but I guess we must. I mean, someone even went through the trouble of making a (14-minute!) video of all the terrible things Machado has done over the years. Some of it is just piling on — am I supposed to be outraged when he gives the pitcher a look after being thrown at? — but most of it is not. Prepare your fainting couches:

Somehow the general lack of hustle (i.e. jogging out grounders and turning the occasional double into a single) is getting the most attention. Not kicking Jesus Aguilar’s ankle at first base, not throwing the bat at Josh Donaldson. Not the times when Machado appeared to have intent to injure a fellow player. The hustle is what everyone is talking about, mostly because Machado made some dumb comments to Ken Rosenthal (subs. req’d):

“I’ve been thinking about it and it happens every time, there’s no excuse for it honestly. I’ve never given excuses for not running. I’m not hurt, there’s no excuse but I’ve been the same player … I’ve been doing this for eight years, I’m in The Show for eight years, I’ve done the same thing for eight years, I’ve been the same player. (Machado actually just completed his seventh season.)

“Obviously I’m not going to change, I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle,’ and run down the line and slide to first base and … you know, whatever can happen. That’s just not my personality, that’s not my cup of tea, that’s not who I am.”

The “Johnny Hustle” and “that’s not my cup of tea” lines have been repeated ad nauseum with the “there’s no excuse for it honestly” part conveniently left out. Machado tried to do damage control while speaking to Mark Feinsand recently — “For me, I was trying to talk about how I’m not the guy who is eye wash. There’s a difference between fake hustle for show and being someone who tries hard to win. I’ve always been the guy who does whatever he can to win for his team. But I know how I said it and how that came across, and it’s something I take responsibility for,” he said — but it’s too late for that. The court of public opinion has rendered a verdict.

“Any guy we look at, whether it’s a $10M guy or a $300M guy, those comments would be troubling and they need to be addressed,” said Steinbrenner recently (video link). “… Were there things that weren’t printed? What were you trying to say? How do you explain yourself? Do you understand that this kind of stuff concerns a lot of our fans, if not most of our fans? There needs to be a sit down before we’re comfortable.”

I honestly have no idea what Machado could say in a meeting with Hal and Cashman and whoever else to assuage any concerns. Seems like an impossible task. As I said yesterday, I think this is all an act. The Yankees will sign Machado if the money is right. If they sign him, they’ll say they had a great meeting and believe the non-hustle comments were taken out of context or something like that. If they don’t sign him, they’ll get up their high horse and say they don’t think a player who acts like that is fit for pinstripes. Take it to the bank.

At this point, I hope every player hustles mostly so everyone would just stop talking about it. A not insignificant portion of y’all are reading this at work and are Mad Online a baseball player doesn’t try harder at his job. You know it’s true. Machado has been jogging out grounders for years — is it wrong for a guy who’s already had surgery on both knees to not run out every routine grounder? — and, when he did it in the postseason, it looked awful. Same when he played a double into a single because he thought it would leave the yard. The optics were so, so bad.

I’m much more concerned about the incidents that can be construed as an intent to injure. When he spiked Dustin Pedroia’s calf last year? That play happened so fast and I genuinely believe Machado’s foot hit the bag and popped up, and Pedroia’s leg was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Aguilar kick? Nope. I can’t see that as anything other than premeditated and malicious. Same with the bat throwing incident. That’s a problem. I wish Machado ran out everything. I wish every player did. It’ll never happen though and there’s no point in getting bent out of shape about it. Trying to hurt another player is much more serious matter to me. I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about it.

Does He Make Sense For The Yankees?

Glow in the dark cleats included? (Jeff Gross/Getty)

Manny Machado the baseball player is as close to a perfect fit for the Yankees as possible. I’d be nice if he were a left-handed hitter rather than a right-handed hitter, simply to balance the lineup, otherwise he’s perfect. He mashes, he doesn’t strike out much, he saves runs in the field, he runs the bases well, he knows the AL East, and he’s only 26. He’s 70 days younger than Aaron Judge! Machado would fit the roster perfectly. I mean, look at this possible lineup:

  1. CF Aaron Hicks
  2. RF Aaron Judge
  3. SS Manny Machado
  4. DH Giancarlo Stanton
  5. 3B Miguel Andujar
  6. C Gary Sanchez
  7. 1B Luke Voit
  8. 2B Gleyber Torres
  9. LF Brett Gardner

A little too right-handed leaning but hot damn. Machado could play short until Didi Gregorius completes his Tommy John surgery rehab. What happens after that? Who knows, but the Yankees will have options. The Yankees could move Machado to third and Andujar to first (or left). They could put Machado at third and trade Andujar for a young starter. They could let Gregorius walk after the season and move forward with Machado at short. Too many good players is not in any way a problem.

Contractually, Machado doesn’t work for the Yankees unless he takes a huge discount (lol) or they’re willing to exceed the luxury tax threshold not just next season, but in future years as well, because Judge and Sanchez and Luis Severino are going to get more expensive soon. As for the hustle talk? Who knows how the Yankees will handle that. Basing a decision on hustle — hustle! — rather than talent, or dollars, or years, or a bunch of other things seems kinda silly. Silly enough that I don’t think it’ll happen.

“Every year you’re charged with determining who would be a good fit for your club, who you want to move forward with and, obviously, who you don’t. We’ll make those determinations and act accordingly,” said Cashman at the GM Meetings earlier this month. It’s pretty clear Machado the player fits the Yankees. Machado the contract might not in this era of austerity, but we’ve talked about the luxury tax nonstop for like five years now and I’m beyond sick of it.

If the Yankees decide to pass on Machado because they’re concerned about what sure looks like repeated attempts to injury fellow players, that’s one thing. Passing on a dude because of a lack of hustle when he can do many other things to help you win is another. I think the Yankees are milking this as much as possible. They’re putting on a good show for fans. Ultimately, I believe this comes down to money. If it makes sense, the Yankees will act. If not, they’ll walk away and everyone will talk about Machado’s flaws rather than the growing disparity between the team’s revenue and payroll.

Hot Stove Rumors: Kluber, Carrasco, Paxton, Machado, Happ

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Hey Corey. (Joe Robbins/Getty)

The GM Meetings are being held in Carlsbad, California this week and usually that means news — the Aaron Hicks trade went down at the GM Meetings — or at least some rumors and soundbites. “The Red Sox winning doesn’t change the hunger level of trying to deliver a championship for our fan base,” said Brian Cashman to Erik Boland yesterday. Here are the latest hot stove rumors.

Yankees will talk Kluber, Carrasco with Indians

According to Jon Heyman, the Yankees either will meet or have already met with the Indians today to discuss right-handers Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. Cleveland will reportedly listen to offers for their top veteran players this offseason because a) every team listens to offers for everyone, and b) they are a small budget team and they’re running out of money. Supposedly everyone except Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez is available. That doesn’t mean the Indians are giving their veterans away, but they do seem to be available.

Kluber (2.89 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 2018) and Carrasco (3.38 ERA and 2.94 FIP) are both excellent and signed affordably. Assuming their options are picked up, Kluber is owed $52.5M from 2019-21 and Carrasco is owed $19.25M from 2019-20. They’re both over 30 (Kluber turns 33 in April, Carrasco turns 32 in March), but they are exactly the kind of pitcher the Yankees crave. Front of the rotation arms who rack up strikeouts and are on affordable contracts. I don’t see why the Indians would trade either Kluber or Carrasco without getting Gleyber Torres or Miguel Andujar (and more) in return. These aren’t guys you get for three or four prospects you don’t like.

Yankees interested in Paxton

In addition to Kluber and Carrasco, the Yankees also have interest in southpaw James Paxton, reports Heyman. The Mariners are reportedly considering a rebuild. They haven’t been to the postseason since Ichiro’s rookie season in 2001 — The Mariners have the longest active postseason drought in North American sports — despite spending a ton of money and gutting the farm system to make win-now trades in recent years. They’re at least considering a full teardown.

Paxton, who turns 30 today, threw 160.1 innings with a 3.76 ERA (3.23 FIP) and 208 strikeouts this season. He is under control through 2020. For me, Paxton is clearly behind Kluber and Carrasco on the trade preference list. Those two are Plan A and Plan B (either order is arguable) and Paxton is Plan C. He has a very long injury history and I think the Mariners are going to demand an ace price for a guy who isn’t really an ace. Don’t get me wrong, Paxton’s quite good and would be a significant upgrade for the Yankees. I just prefer Kluber and Carrasco.

Yankees will check in on Machado

Despite being “lukewarm” about Manny Machado, the Yankees will check in on the free agent infielder, and their interest level depends on the asking price, reports Heyman. Cashman ducked the Machado question, as you’d expect. “I’m going to be engaging the entire landscape in the free agent market … We will make sure we check every box in terms of what’s available and the cost associated with what’s available in both marketplaces, free agency and trades,” he said to Brendan Kuty.

Machado. (Elsa/Getty)

To sign Machado (or Bryce Harper), one of two things will have to happen. Either the Yankees will have to exceed the $206M luxury tax threshold next year, or they’ll have to shed salary elsewhere and go cheap on pitching. Only one of those two options makes sense for a team with New York’s revenues. There’s a very anti-Machado sentiment that exists right now and I totally get it after his postseason, but this is a 26-year-old infielder who hit .297/.367/.538 (141 wRC+) with 37 homers this season and is a true talent +6 WAR player. How often do you get a chance to acquire someone like that for just cash?

Yankees would like to re-sign Sabathia, Happ

The Yankees would like to re-sign CC Sabathia and J.A. Happ, Cashman told Ronald Blum. “He’s been a great Yankee, and he has time on the clock still. I think he’d like to stay, and I think we’d like to keep him,” Cashman said about Sabathia. As for Happ, Cashman said: “I would think that there’ll be a lot of interest in him. He has a great reputation throughout the game as a pro, and the performance level was exactly what we needed. So he put himself in a good position as a free agent.”

For what it’s worth, Heyman says Happ and Patrick Corbin are the team’s two top pitching targets. That definitely passes the sniff test. Cashman mentioned yesterday the Yankees are looking to add multiple starters and they’ve reportedly been after Corbin for a while, and obviously they like Happ enough that they traded for him and started him in ALDS Game One. I do worry about Happ’s declining four-seam fastball spin rate, which is kind of a big deal for a guy who throws so many heaters, especially up in the zone. As for bringing Sabathia back, I am all for it. Get it done.

Cashman reiterates intention to trade Gray

Not surprisingly, Cashman reiterated his intention to trade Sonny Gray this offseason. He’s been very candid about this. “We are going to move him if we get the right deal because I don’t think it is going to work out in The Bronx. I don’t feel like we can go through the same exercise and expect different results,” Cashman said to Joel Sherman. “There are enough teams that think highly enough of him, that are interested.”

I get the feeling Gray is either going to be traded very early in the offseason, as in within the next week or two, or very late, as in February or even after Spring Training begins. Don’t ask me why. Just a hunch. I still believe the Brewers are the most logical fit but man, who in the world knows? Gray was really good outside Yankee Stadium (3.17 ERA and 2.65 FIP) and he has a strong track record, so it would seem lots of teams would be interested in buying low. Then again, he was so bad this year that I wouldn’t be surprised if teams shy away. We’ll see. I think the Yankees will end up with a better than expected return for Sonny. Pitching is always in demand.

The Waiting Game

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(Presswire)

Patience is a virtue. And by virtue of their patience, the Yankees have achieved owner Hal Steinbrenner’s luxury tax savings plan. This has saved the organization some money and it’s given the Yankees a chance to develop talent like Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Andujar, and Gleyber Torres (even if that was just a finishing job), which has help set them up for future success without the absolute need to spend. Going into 2019, the Yankees could be successful without spending too much money.

There are some question marks on the Yankees and question marks sometimes demand answers from outside the organization. But the Yankees’ questions are largely internal: can Severino and Sanchez bounce back? Is Clint Frazier healthy?, for example. Additionally, the field of position players is pretty well stocked and crowded, especially with the re-signing of Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury still on the team. Adding a lot of talent may not be all that feasible. Besides, if the Yankees are patient, they can go for the best player on the market next year, Nolan Arenado. On the pitch side, waiting could also give them a shot at Chris Archer, Gerrit Cole, and Zach Wheeler for sure, with the possibility of Stephen Strasburg (opt out).

The Yankees should absolutely, positively not wait to spend their money. As Bob pointed out last week:

We’ve heard a lot about the need to cut salary in recent years, and the team has achieved that goal. Now, the Yankees are a very good team that is on the verge of being a great team — and spending on elite talent in the next few weeks might be the difference. But if they let this moment pass them by, they will have nobody to blame but themselves if they are sitting at home late in October again, watching their bitter rivals beating them at what was supposed to be their own game.

That aside, the Yankees would also be passing on two incredible talents in Bryce Harper and Manny Machado if they don’t attempt or sign both of them. These are two players you make room for. You find a way to make it work for guys that good.

On the pitching side of things, what do people always drone on about the Yankees needing? Starters. And what type of starters are favored in Yankee Stadium? Left handed ones. And whose available right now? Three lefty starters who would fit the team well, two of whom already have fit the team well: Patrick Corbin, JA Happ, and CC Sabathia. This combination of players will not exist for the Yankees to pursue again.

Hal and Brian Cashman are generally right: You don’t need a $200M payroll to win. The Yankees have proven that with their young talent the last two years. However, they’ve only been able to ride that talent so far. To push the team over the edge, they need to spend some money to strengthen the team even more. Patience may be a virtue and the Yankees ought to exercise it at times, but now is the time to avoid restraint. Go out and spend.

Hot Stove Rumors & News: Harper, Machado, Free Agents

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(Scott Taetsch/Getty)

Only 107 days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, give or take. Doesn’t seem so bad, does it? No, it does. I miss baseball already. Anyway, here is the offseason calendar in case you missed it earlier, and here are the latest hot stove rumors and news tidbits.

Pursuing Harper is “not part of the plan”

Right on schedule. According to Andy Martino, pursuing free agent Bryce Harper this offseason is “not part of the plan” for the Yankees. The Yankees are going to prioritize pitching this winter and Harper doesn’t really fit. That’s silly, of course, because you can always make room for a player like Harper. When’s the last time a player like this — a star caliber producer in his mid-20s — hit the open market? It’s been a very long time.

Anyway, like I said, this report is right on schedule. Day One of the offseason and the Yankees are downplaying their interest in the best free agent to hit the market in years? Textbook posturing. And you know, even if this is true and the Yankees are not planning to pursue Harper, things can change. I don’t think anyone in the front office had Giancarlo Stanton in mind at this time last winter. This report means nothing to me. A team downplaying interest in a free agent is Hot Stove 101 stuff.

Yankees are “lukewarm” on Machado

In addition to totally not having interesting in Harper (wink wink), the Yankees are only “lukewarm” on Manny Machado, reports Martino. Martino says the Yankees were put off by Machado’s postseason antics, specifically his dirty as hell kick of Jesus Aguilar and his unabashed admission that he’s never going to hustle. Machado has had the “dirty player” label for a while, dating back to when he threw his bat at the Athletics, but things really came to a head this October.

To me, the Yankees being put off my Machado’s postseason display is far more believable than simply not having interest in Harper because he might not fit the roster. It’s going to take a lot of money and a lot of years to sign Machado. If he’s playing dirty now and he’s not hustling right before his big free agent payday, what happens when he’s got that huge guaranteed contract? Teams have overlooked far worse things, of course, and Machado is a great player in his mid-20s. Dude’s going to get paid. But I can understand not liking what you saw in the postseason.

145 players become free agents

Earlier this morning 145 players officially became free agents, the MLBPA announced. Here’s the full list. As expected, eight Yankees are now free agents:

New York Yankees (8): Zach Britton, J.A. Happ, Adeiny Hechavarría, Lance Lynn, Andrew McCutchen, David Robertson, CC Sabathia, Neil Walker

Several more players will become free agents later this week when their options are declined or they use their opt-outs. Brett Gardner could be among them. The Yankees have until Wednesday to exercise his $12.5M club option or buy him out for $2M. Honestly, neither outcome would surprise me.

Poll: The Bryce Harper or Manny Machado Question

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(Rob Carr/Getty)

Bryce Harper or Manny Machado. Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. It is a question that’s been hanging over the 2018-19 offseason for literally years now. We’ve been talking about this free agent class a good two or three years already. It has finally arrived, and in less than two weeks, both Harper and Machado will hit free agency.

It is not often a 26-year-old superstar hits the open market. It is exceedingly rare, in fact. The last one before Harper and Machado was who, Alex Rodriguez back during the 2000-01 offseason? Has to be. We’ve seen a few 27 and 28-year-olds hit free agency since then. None of them were the caliber of player of Harper and Machado though.

The Yankees have some money to spend this winter and I fully expect them to be involved in both the Harper and Machado bidding. Even if the Yankees are only interested in one guy and not the other, we’ll hear them connected to both because it’ll give them some leverage. (Also, Harper’s and Machado’s agents will say the Yankees are involved to fire up a bidding war.)

Harper and Machado are both outstanding players and I would happily take either guy on my team. As much as I would love it, signing both is not going to happen, realistically. There’s a choice that has to be made here. Who’s the better investment? Who’s the best fit? Let’s make the case for (and against) both Harper and Machado, shall we?

Bryce Harper

The case for Harper: I think you can make the argument Harper is the most naturally talented baseball player in the world. Maybe second behind Mike Trout. I couldn’t see going lower than that. Harper had a down season this year and his down season was a .249/.393/.496 (135 wRC+) batting line with 34 home runs and 130 (!) walks. Remember his slow start? Harper hit .300/.434/.538 (159 wRC+) after the All-Star break.

Seven seasons into his big league career Harper is a .279/.388/.512 (140 wRC+) hitter who has averaged 30 homers and 248 times on base per 150 games. We’ve already seen the historic greatness — Harper authored a .330/.460/.649 (197 wRC+) batting line with 42 home runs in 2015 — and now we’re talking about a player who is entering what should be, in theory, the best years of his career. His age 26-30 seasons are coming up. Goodness.

In terms of the Yankees, Harper fits because he’d give them a high on-base left-handed bat to balance the lineup — Harper is one of the few lefty hitters in the game worth squeezing between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup, in my opinion — and they could slot him right into left field. The Nationals had Harper bouncing back and forth between right and center this year. The defensive numbers say his best work has been done in left.

Harper has “any part of any park” power but, of course, as a left-handed hitter, he would get a natural boost from Yankee Stadium. The case for Harper is his left-handed power and incredible on-base skills, and the ability to slot him into left field seamlessly. There’s an open position and he’d balance the lineup wonderfully. Plus Harper grew up a Yankees fan, and that’s never a bad thing.

The case against Harper: More than anything, the knock on Harper is his injuries. He did play a career high 159 games this year, so that’s good. Last year he only played 111 games though. His games played totals in his six full seasons: 118, 100, 153, 147, 111, 159. Some of the injuries are self-inflicted. Harper crashed into the outfield wall and hurt his knee in 2013. He tore ligaments in his thumb during a slide in 2014. Last season’s knee injury was the result of slipping on a wet base, and that’s sort of a fluke. Otherwise most of his injuries are the result of aggressive play.

Beyond the injuries, Harper is become increasingly susceptible to the shift. He saw the shift in 41.4% of his plate appearances this year. It was 33.1% last year. It was 19.3% during his MVP season in 2015. It would be wrong to call Harper a dead pull hitter (2016-17 spray chart) …

… but he does pull the ball quite often, and these days pull happy hitters make themselves easy to defend. Easier to defend, I should say. As a fan, there are few things in baseball more frustrating than a hard-hit ball finding a glove. Those weak rolled over grounders? Those are outs anyway. It’s the hard-hit grounders and line drives that the shift eats up. Harper is seeing it more and the Yankees may not want to invest in another left-handed hitter who could fall in love with the short porch and become extremely pull happy and a shift susceptible hitter.

Also, and this really is a small thing, the Yankees will have to give up a draft pick to sign Harper, who will surely receive and reject the qualifying offer. The Yankees would have to surrender their 2019 second round pick and $500,000 in international bonus money for the 2019-20 signing period to sign him. That’s no big deal though. For a player of Harper’s caliber (in his prime!), giving up a second rounder and some international bonus money is no deterrent.

Manny Machado

The case for Machado: My goodness is Machado gifted. I think Harper is the most naturally talented player in the game. Machado is right up there with him though, and, for whatever reason, Machado makes everything look much easier. His swing, his defense, it all comes very easily. This year Machado hit .297/.367/.538 (140 wRC+) with 37 home runs. That is four straight seasons with 30+ dingers and three seasons with a 130 wRC+ or better in the last four years. And again, he’s 26 and about to enter what should be the best years of his career.

There’s no denying Harper has more on-base ability than Machado. Machado’s career high is his .367 OBP this year. Harper hasn’t had a sub-.370 OBP since 2014. What Machado lacks in walks he makes up for in contact. His strikeout rate has been trending down for a few years now and finished at a career low 14.7% this year. Harper’s strikeout rate is not excessive, but there’s no real comparison here:


Source: FanGraphs — Manny Machado, Bryce Harper

We live in a strikeout heavy era. Do you see the guys on the mound these days? They’re incredible. They all throw so hard and have nasty breaking stuff. I have no idea how anyone ever gets a hit these days. Avoiding strikeouts is an obvious plus. Avoiding strikeouts while hitting for this much power? That’s star level stuff. Only 16 players have combined a sub-15.0% strikeout rate with 30+ homers in a season since 2010 and they’re basically the 16 best hitters of the era. Peak Albert Pujols, peak Miguel Cabrera, peak Adrian Beltre, peak Joey Votto, peak David Ortiz, etc. And present day Manny Machado.

Defensively, Machado is an outstanding third baseman and a good enough shortstop. He was a disaster at short with the Orioles, who seem to have no idea what they’re doing, and solid at short with the Dodgers, who made up for his less than elite range with sound positioning. Based on what I saw earlier this season, I thought Machado had no chance to stick at short long-term. Now though, it seems he can do it for another year or two, or at least long enough until Didi Gregorius returns.

And finally, there’s no draft pick compensation here. Machado was traded at midseason and is thus ineligible for the qualifying offer. Like I said earlier, I’d have zero problem giving up a second round pick and some international bonus money to sign a star player in his mid-20s. But, if there’s a way to sign that type of player and keep those assets, why wouldn’t you do it?

The case against Machado: We have to start with the elephant in the room. Machado is kind of a jerk. He’s had the reputation for a while and the chickens are coming home to roost this postseason. Most notably, Machado straight up kicked Jesus Aguilar in the ankle as he ran through first base last week. He also didn’t run out a ground ball and essentially bragged about it — “I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle’ … That’s not my cup of tea,” he said last week — and made some suspect slides into second base recently.

I don’t care about the slides. If it was a player people liked, he’d be praised for playing hard and doing all he could to try to win. We see players go overboard when trying to break up a double play at second all the time. All the time. I have no problem with Machado’s slides on those plays. And, really, I don’t care about a lack of hustle. Yes, it would be nice if everyone ran out every ground ball, but that’s just not going to happen. I suppose Machado deserves credit for the honestly, but saying you’re not going to run balls out is … not great. It’s not great. It’s a bad look. Also, the kick is garbage. Get outta here.

The Machado hate seems to have been ratcheted up a notch this postseason and it is not entirely undeserved. The Yankees might not want to bring that headache into the clubhouse. That headache certainly hasn’t hurt the Dodgers. They’re in the World Series and Machado’s probably been their best player this October. Living with that stuff in the postseason might be easier than living with it across a 162-game season though. Either way, the biggest drawback with Machado is his perceived attitude. (Real Talk: Machado’s been acting like people incorrectly said Harper acted all those years.)

As for on-field matters, Machado is a less than precise fit for the lineup as yet another right-handed batter — this doesn’t bother me much because he’s an elite hitter, though it is something to keep in mind — and there are some logistical headaches defensively. Machado can play short until Gregorius returns. Great. Then what? Move him to third? What about Miguel Andujar? The Yankees could plop Harper into left field and be done with it. There are some more moving parts with Machado.

Lastly, Machado has had injury problems of his own over the years, most notably surgery on both knees. He had torn ligaments in his left knee in 2013 and damage in his right knee in 2014. Machado played 637 of 648 possible regular season games from 2015-18, so the knees haven’t given him trouble since the surgeries, but they did happen, and knee injuries have a way of sapping a player’s speed and mobility with age. What happens once Manny loses range on the infield?

* * *

Undoubtedly, Harper and Machado are two of the best players in the world and either guy would make the Yankees substantially better. Being able to secure their age 26-30 seasons — presumably at the cost of paying big for age 31+ seasons — for nothing but cash and maybe a non-first round draft pick and international bonus money is an opportunity that does not come along often. The win-now Yankees should be after both.

Since these two ballplaying fellows are going to be at the center of conversation for the next few weeks and months, and the Yankees will be involved in those conversations as well, this is as good a time as any to take the pulse of the fan base. To the obligatory poll question:

Assuming similar contracts, who should the Yankees sign?
View Results

Manny Machado is doing all the wrong things this postseason and it probably won’t matter to the Yankees one bit

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(Harry How/Getty)

Eight games into the 2018 postseason, Orioles turned Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado is hitting .265/.306/.588 (140 wRC+) with three home runs in 36 plate appearances. The AVG and OBP are a little low, but it’s a super small size, so I wouldn’t sweat it at all. Machado’s been quite productive in this year’s postseason thus far.

Of course, no one is talking about Machado’s production right now. All the focus is on some recent on-field antics that range from “that’s not what you want to see” to “that’s dirty.” It all started in NLCS Game Two, when Machado casually jogged out a routine ground ball. He was going to be out even with full hustle, but Machado didn’t even do the bare minimum hustle, and it just looked bad.

During a chat with Ken Rosenthal (subs. req’d), Machado said “there’s no excuse for it honestly,” but also doubled down on not hustling. Amazingly, he admitted he’s pretty much never going to hustle. From Rosenthal:

“Obviously I’m not going to change, I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle,’ and run down the line and slide to first base and … you know, whatever can happen. That’s just not my personality, that’s not my cup of tea, that’s not who I am.”

Machado said the quiet part out loud. This dude is a few weeks away from signing a $300M-ish contract and he came out and admitted he’s not going to hustle. Not the best timing, Manny! Anything that can make prospective employers say “if this is how he plays now, what’s he going to do after I give him a huge contract?” His agent can’t be happy.

To be clear, I don’t think the lack of hustle on that play is a big deal. Does it look bad? Yes, absolutely, especially in the postseason. Generally speaking though, I’m willing to overlook a player not running out a routine ground ball. We went through it for years with Robinson Cano. It’s really not a big deal. Running out grounders doesn’t create an error often. Not often enough to get upset about.

Anyway, after the non-hustle drama, Machado made a pair of questionable slides in NLCS Game Three. One of them was deemed to have violated the second base slide rule. Machado went out of his way to make contact with Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia. The play was reviewed and ruled an automatic double play. To me, this is a clear violation of the slide rule. Machado intended to initiate contact.

“We talk about it a lot when you go into second base that you have to really make an attempt to hold on to the bag or not try to — it’s a safe play, as far as trying to protect the infielder,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts after the game. “And so Manny knows that. We talk about it all the time. And they looked at the review and they got it right. Because you do have to make a very good effort to hold on to the bag, and apparently we didn’t.”

That slide falls more into the “that’s not what you want see” category than the “that’s dirty” category, I think. Even with the new slide rule, we still see guys go in hard at second base to try to break up a double play, and they called Machado on it. It was a close postseason game, the Dodgers were having trouble scoring runs, and Machado tried to ensure the rally stayed alive. Eh. Not the worst crime a player can commit on the field. I don’t think there was intent to injure.

In Game Four last night, however, Machado made his most egregious play of the NLCS, when he straight up kicked Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar in the ankle as he ran through first base. Machado and Aguilar yapped at each other a bit then hugged it out later in the game, after Machado reached first base, but I don’t think that forgives anything. Here’s the full video. Here’s the most damning angle:

Man, that is bad. An inexcusable play, really. It’s tough for me to look at that and think it was something other than an attempt to injure. What could Machado have possibly been doing otherwise? I’m not normally one to advocate throwing at hitters, but if there was ever a reason to wear one in the ribs, that’s it. Christian Yelich called it a “dirty play from a dirty player” after the game.

“I play baseball, I try to go out there and win for my team. If that’s their comments, that’s their comments, I can’t do nothing about that,” Machado said. “I was trying to get over him and hit his foot. If that’s dirty, that’s dirty, I don’t know, call it what you want. We go way back. Whatever happens on the field happens in the field, stays between the lines.”

Machado has a history of run-ins with opposing teams. There was the bat throw incident in 2014 that resulted in a five-game suspension. He also spiked Dustin Pedroia last season and the result was a season-long beanball war between the Red Sox and Orioles. Between that stuff and this postseason’s heel turn, Machado is in the news for all the wrong reasons right now. He has become baseball’s villain.

And here’s the thing: I don’t think it will matter one bit to the Yankees or any other team planning to pursue Machado as a free agent this winter. Teams, including the Yankees, have shown time and time again they will overlook stuff like this — as well as more serious off-the-field incidents — when building their roster. The top priority has been, and always will be, “can he help us win?” With Machado, the answer is very clearly yes.

Perhaps if Machado were a lesser player, his history and this postseason would push teams away. Machado is not a lesser player though. He is an elite player — he’s no worse than what, a top ten player in the world? — who is right smack in the prime of his career at age 26. These players rarely become available. The teams with the wherewithal to sign him are going to continue to pursue him just as aggressively as they would’ve before these NLCS incidents because he’s so good at baseball.

The Yankees have a clear need for Machado, perhaps moreso than any other contender. They could slot him at shortstop until Didi Gregorius returns from his Tommy John surgery, then slide him over to third base with Miguel Andujar moving somewhere (first base? left field?) that better hides his defensive shortcomings. The Yankees are a win-now team and Machado helps them, well, win now. And, at the end of the day, the Yankees and pretty much every other team in baseball has made it clear that is the most important thing.