Let's Make The Evil Empire Evil Again: NYY's Pursuit Of Manny Machado

jon abbey

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So, this is the big winter for Cashman, he is under the cap and (should be) ready to spend big to fill holes. The most obvious FA target from a pure talent perspective is Manny Machado, so a quick list of pros and cons:

Pros:

He is amazingly only 26, two months younger than Aaron Judge (!!).
He is a spectacularly good defensive 3B and a seemingly solid defensive SS (his numbers at SS were much better after going to the Dodgers).
Boston fans absolutely (rightfully) hate him already.

Cons:

He has a .761 career OPS on the road (.887 at home), so it's possible that he is a lateral or even slightly down move offensively from Miguel Andujar (3 years younger and .813/914 road home OPS splits so far).
He is going to cost a lot, although probably less than if the last few weeks never happened.
He is a dirty player, as evidenced four different times at 1B and 2B in the last two series. The spike on Aguilar in the NLCS was absolutely ridiculous and should have gotten him suspended.

There's more but that's enough to start a thread.
 

DeadlySplitter

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He's the most talented player by far in the FA pool. I think Harper is a bit of Hosmer lite in him.

but the baggage is real. going to be a fascinating market.
 

CoffeeNerdness

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Con: he's lazy. Smells like the kind of player who's going to get his payday and Cadillac the rest of his career even if it costs him a second big contract. Good luck to anyone signing him.
 

bsj

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Did I spur this thread? ;)

lol.

Seriously...i hate the guy, but seeing that you desperately need pitching more than a stick, there are baseball reasons why as a Sox fan I would NOT be opposed to you focusing here vs there. Of course you could just do both
 

jon abbey

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'Lazy' is a lazy description of him IMO. He has played 637 of a possible 648 games in the past 4 seasons, and he hustled his ass off to score the game-winning run in one of the final NLCS games. He doesn't run hard to first every time but that's fairly common these days. Also he is slow for a SS so that doesn't help his perception (which is somewhat genuine, don't get me wrong).
 

glennhoffmania

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I read somewhere over the summer that he only wanted to play SS, so unless NY can convince him to change his mind it seems like he'd replace Didi, not Andujar. Watching him play, and considering how bulky he has gotten, I don't see him lasting very long at SS. His defensive numbers with LA are such a small sample that they're pretty worthless. I think his future is at 3B, but like another guy who should've switched positions and refused to, it may complicate things.
 

jon abbey

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Did I spur this thread? ;)

lol.

Seriously...i hate the guy, but seeing that you desperately need pitching more than a stick, there are baseball reasons why as a Sox fan I would NOT be opposed to you focusing here vs there. Of course you could just do both
Yeah, pitching will definitely be the top priority, Cashman has already said that. They only have maybe 5-6 spots on the staff set currently, including just 2 SPs (Severino/Tanaka). But 26 year old superstars don't hit the market too often, and 3B defense is a desperate need for NY as Andujar is historically abysmal there.

And no, I would have started this thread around the end of the NLCS but I didn't want to A-Rod away attention from the WS too much. :)
 

jon abbey

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I read somewhere over the summer that he only wanted to play SS, so unless NY can convince him to change his mind it seems like he'd replace Didi, not Andujar. Watching him play, and considering how bulky he has gotten, I don't see him lasting very long at SS. His defensive numbers with LA are such a small sample that they're pretty worthless. I think his future is at 3B, but like another guy who should've switched positions and refused to, it may complicate things.
Oh right, this is a part I forgot in the first post. Didi is out for most of 2019 and a FA after that, so Machado would give them a great fill-in there as well as protection against Didi returning and not being the same (it is his throwing arm) and also his FA after next season. Machado has said he'd happily play 3B in the right situation, FWIW.
 

bsj

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Yeah, pitching will definitely be the top priority, Cashman has already said that. They only have maybe 5-6 spots on the staff set currently, including just 2 SPs (Severino/Tanaka). But 26 year old superstars don't hit the market too often, and 3B defense is a desperate need for NY as Andujar is historically abysmal there.

And no, I would have started this thread around the end of the NLCS but I didn't want to A-Rod away attention from the WS too much. :)
All good.

From the outside looking in I love what you guys have working on the left side of the in field. I feel like the Yanks have a late 90s heavily home grown build working here with so much young talent which is the model that scares me as a Sox fan. I personally feel the upside of Machado over Andujar is not worth the downsides.

But you are right, as i said elsewhere, the hate (which frankly isnt there any more) would return, at least from the boston side.
 

glennhoffmania

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Right, I should've expanded. Early on he could obviously replace Didi. If NY decides to just let him walk after 2019 problem solved for the last 9 years of the deal. I still don't see Machado being a good defensive SS going forward though, but if he keeps hitting like he did this year it probably wouldn't matter. At some point I think he has to transition to 3B though.
 

Wingack

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I saw a tweet last night from a baseball writer, I forget who now, but they had talked to analysts that said his attitude has caused is price to plummet to $230-250 mil. That would be 100 milly less than Harper.
 

TheoShmeo

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Please please please go to the Yankees, Machado.

The player I hate the most in sports must be on the team I hate the most.

Yes, he will likely be damaging to the Sox at times in NY but sports are entertainment and MM on the MFYs will be exactly that.
 

CoffeeNerdness

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'Lazy' is a lazy description of him IMO. He has played 637 of a possible 648 games in the past 4 seasons, and he hustled his ass off to score the game-winning run in one of the final NLCS games. He doesn't run hard to first every time but that's fairly common these days. Also he is slow for a SS so that doesn't help his perception (which is somewhat genuine, don't get me wrong).
"I've been thinking about it, and it happens every time. There's no excuse for it, honestly," Machado told Rosenthal. "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 [seven] years, I'm in The Show for [seven] years, I've done the same thing for [seven] years, I've been the same player."

https://www.mlb.com/news/manny-machado-discusses-his-lack-of-hustle/c-297923956

Not putting in the work to change a negative habit that costs your team repeatedly is laziness in my world.
 

jon abbey

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"I've been thinking about it, and it happens every time. There's no excuse for it, honestly," Machado told Rosenthal. "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 [seven] years, I'm in The Show for [seven] years, I've done the same thing for [seven] years, I've been the same player."

https://www.mlb.com/news/manny-machado-discusses-his-lack-of-hustle/c-297923956

Not putting in the work to change a negative habit that costs your team repeatedly is laziness in my world.
Yes, everyone saw that quote, but it's just referring to one facet of his game and he hustled his ass off a day or two after that quote to win game 4 of the NLCS, singling, advancing to second on a ball that barely got away from the catcher and flying home to score on a single with a beautiful slide.

He reminds me a lot of a younger Robinson Cano offensively, he often doesn't run hard to first but he is very productive overall offensively and almost never misses games.
 

BigSoxFan

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Does his career .335 OBP scare you a bit? The talent is there but the plate discipline is a little lacking for a team that already has a ton of free swingers. I think NY's money can be better spent elsewhere.
 

snowmanny

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I doubt the attitudinal/cheap shot crap is going to deter the Yankees from signing him or particularly cost them very many games once/if he gets there. The Sox had their own Manny with his own stuff but he won them a lot of games. I actually wonder if the bad press scares off other teams much more than it would Cashman; I doubt Cashman gives any craps at this point about dealing with that type of stuff as long as the player shows up and the team wins. Also Sanchez can give Machado some cover :)

I'm with BigSoxFan on the OBP and there are other needs. On the other hand he's very very good (and, for example, a lot better than Carl Crawford ever was) even if he's not a Judge or Martinez level hitter, and he's very very young and so the bust signing potential seems about as low as you can get for a big time FA.
 

The Needler

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Yes, everyone saw that quote, but it's just referring to one facet of his game and he hustled his ass off a day or two after that quote to win game 4 of the NLCS, singling, advancing to second on a ball that barely got away from the catcher and flying home to score on a single with a beautiful slide.
You’ve referred to this twice now. I don’t think we’re working from the same definition of lazy. To me lazy in this context doesn’t mean he has never run hard in his life, or that he often refuses to come to practice, or to get out of bed. It’s relative. To the average major leaguer, to the average highly paid superstar, etc. Plenty of guys run hard all the time. Even more run hard most of the time. Nearly everyone does so in the World Series. But maybe only one blows bubbles on his way to first in crucial spots in the World Series.
 

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Well this is interesting:

In fact, the Yankees have been paying attention all postseason -- to the extent that they have reportedly grown "lukewarm" to the idea of signing free-agent infielder Manny Machado due to his October antics.
But as the team watched this postseason, and weighed it against what they already feared about Machado -- that he didn't always run out ground balls, that opponents thought he was a dirty player -- they became even more wary of committing to him for the better part of a decade.
The Yankees aren't the only team who seem to be having second thoughts about committing long-term to Machado. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported last week the Dodgers have "seen the warts and blemishes that have been exposed underneath the infielder's worldly talent" and are unlikely to re-sign him this winter. The Philadelphia Phillies, the oddsmakers' favorite to land Machado, were also said to have reservations given their fan base's predilections.
 

InsideTheParker

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To counteract that a bit at lest he doesn't strikeout that much.
I was amazed by how awful he looked in the WS at the plate. Is he injured or has Boston figured out how to pitch to him?
My main concern about his being a NYY is that I think he'll hurt someone on the Sox.
 

terrynever

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Please stay away from Machado and Harper. Do not go back to being the Evil Empire. Buy or trade for a couple quality starting pitchers. Hire Graig Nettles to polish Andujar’s skills at third over the winter and in ST. Nettles also did the crow-hop and threw sidearm from third, just quicker.
Put Torres at short until Didi returns.
Do not mess with the young core by bringing in a prima donna.
Oh, and send Stanton to the Dodgers. They could use another bat.
 

bankshot1

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Terry gets it.

But by all means go sign Machado, I'm sure he'll be a great model for some of the younger players.

I'd focus on starting pitching, but that's what I thought last year.
 

jon abbey

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To be clear, I am not set on NY needing Machado like they needed Sabathia after 2008 (for instance). But Cashman had to trade more prospects than I think he would have liked to over the last 15-16 months, because the team contended more quickly than expected, and so they're now in a position where they don't really have a lot of prospect depth to trade unless those guys are bumped by free agents/trade acquisitions and they do have a lot of spending room if they choose. Nothing has changed since last winter in that the majority of big free agent contracts are almost immediately bad moves, but I still think the smartest way for NY to proceed currently given everything is to spend a ton of money on FAs.

But really what I want is to sit back and watch what Cashman does, this is what he has (presumably) been preparing for since the deadline deals in July 2016.
 

Sin Duda

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After Steve Pearce (World Series MVP!) said MM was the best person he knew in the game from their time together at Baltimore, and the little smilefest he and E-Rod exchanged after he struck out in Game 4, I am reminded of a quote a PhD psychologist I know that developed the military's personality profiling test told me: "People are complex and varied". You cannot paint any player (or person) with a single brush color.
 

jon abbey

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Put Torres at short until Didi returns.
Gleyber had awful UZR numbers at both 2B and SS last year but he looked like he easily could be a superb defensive 2B with more consistent focus (he played all year at 21) but it did not look like he could be more than an adequate to bad SS defensively in his 152 innings there (IMO obv).

More importantly, who is your 2B all season in this scenario? Tyler Wade? Neil Walker? Torreyes? A lot of people are calling for Daniel Murphy, who destroys RHP but can't hit lefties, can't stay healthy and is horrendous defensively. Scooter Gennett has one year left on his deal and was a 4.2 bWAR 2B last year, maybe that could work since CIN has prospects behind him.
 

jon abbey

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I think Didi's injury may have given Andujar another few months defensively at 3B at least, Machado is just too good a fit for Cashman to not go after hard, I'd maybe go up to 8/240 with an optout after 3 years.

Also Hechavarria is a very good roster fit behind Andujar/Machado/Gleyber even though he can't hit at all (.615 OPS this year), but he can play very good defensive SS and 3B and presumably 2B, so I could see him re-signed as the utility guy. Although he does turn 30 on April 15, so Logan's Roster rules might apply... :)
 

terrynever

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Gleyber had awful UZR numbers at both 2B and SS last year but he looked like he easily could be a superb defensive 2B with more consistent focus (he played all year at 21) but it did not look like he could be more than an adequate to bad SS defensively in his 152 innings there (IMO obv).

More importantly, who is your 2B all season in this scenario? Tyler Wade? Neil Walker? Torreyes? A lot of people are calling for Daniel Murphy, who destroys RHP but can't hit lefties, can't stay healthy and is horrendous defensively. Scooter Gennett has one year left on his deal and was a 4.2 bWAR 2B last year, maybe that could work since CIN has prospects behind him.
Like you, I am mainly interested in how Cashman attempts to refine his roster and close the gap with Boston. I think he should keep Walker around, giving him a full ST that he did not have last year. He is better than what he showed in 2018. His career stats speak to that. Plus, he can spell Andujar at third.
Torres would also be better at short then he showed if they just put him there and keep him there until Didi returns. Spring training is especially important for defensive reasons.
Solve position problems from within the organization. Go outside for a No. 2 starter. Hope Sheffield can develop into a viable starter by July.
 

EvilEmpire

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I'm fine with the Yankees being a little more evil. Young, elite talent rarely hits the FA market and Machado is too good a fit to pass up unless the contract demands are outrageous. Especially since there will still be payroll flexibility to add pitching.

I'm not worried about MM's maturity at all and have confidence that the organization's culture can help.

Also agree that with Didi injured, we have more time to see if Andujar can improve at 3B. If not, try him at 1B. Worst case, make him the full time DH. I know a few teams who have had success with full time DHs ;). What if he could be our own Edgar or Papi?
 

wallypip

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The knock on Andujar coming into the 2018 season is that he wasn't ready defensively and needed more developmental time. The major leagues, particularly in a major market during a pennant chase, isn't the place to change bad habits or reconstruct a throwing motion. I would like to see the Yankees continue to try to develop him at 3rd.

If the Yankees do sign Machado for SS instead of Harper, they are going to be very right handed in 2019. Didi will miss most if not all of the season. Unless you feel really good about Hicks, Bird and Ellsbury, the Yankees would have to move for a lefty swinger with power. Staying in the spirit of the title of this thread, I think we need both. :)
 

Murderer's Crow

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@wallypip If the only flaw with the Yankee lineup is that they need a left-handed hitter, well, get one at the deadline.

In other words, if Machado is the answer for 10 years, don't worry about lineup balance for 3 months. It's irrelevant.
 

terrynever

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The knock on Andujar coming into the 2018 season is that he wasn't ready defensively and needed more developmental time. The major leagues, particularly in a major market during a pennant chase, isn't the place to change bad habits or reconstruct a throwing motion. I would like to see the Yankees continue to try to develop him at 3rd.

If the Yankees do sign Machado for SS instead of Harper, they are going to be very right handed in 2019. Didi will miss most if not all of the season. Unless you feel really good about Hicks, Bird and Ellsbury, the Yankees would have to move for a lefty swinger with power. Staying in the spirit of the title of this thread, I think we need both. :)
Good idea. Trade Stanton to LA for a lefty bat.
My answer to all problems begins with “Trade Stanton to LA.”
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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I think Didi's injury may have given Andujar another few months defensively at 3B at least, Machado is just too good a fit for Cashman to not go after hard, I'd maybe go up to 8/240 with an optout after 3 years.

Also Hechavarria is a very good roster fit behind Andujar/Machado/Gleyber even though he can't hit at all (.615 OPS this year), but he can play very good defensive SS and 3B and presumably 2B, so I could see him re-signed as the utility guy. Although he does turn 30 on April 15, so Logan's Roster rules might apply... :)
As a Red Sox fan, I’d be happy if MFY signed MM for 8/$240, particularly to play short. Maybe MM got better at short as the year went on but from what I saw with the Os, his defensive metrics went along with the eye test.
 

Murderer's Crow

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It's worth reminding everyone that Stanton is here for a long time but at a very cheap price. NY is only paying him $22.5M/yr (for luxury tax purposes). Not only is he very valuable to NYY, but he is very valuable to any team looking for a power bat with star power.

And a further look ahead, after the 2020 season, both Tanaka and Ellsbury are off the books ($44m).

There is so much free cash and payroll flexibility over the next three years that I can't see a Steinbrenner owned team, Cashman or not, sitting and waiting for the perfect players with perfect contracts. They're gonna get Machado.

Last edit: Looking ahead at the 2019-2020 free agency period, there is a boatload of absolutely nothing offensively from an impact perspective. There's no reason to wait for next year.

Catchers

Alex Avila (33)
Welington Castillo (33) – $8MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jason Castro (33)
Francisco Cervelli (34)
Travis d’Arnaud (31)
Tyler Flowers (34) – $6MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Yan Gomes (32) – $9MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Chris Iannetta (37) – $4.25MM club option with a $750K buyout
Erik Kratz (40)
Russell Martin (37)
Austin Romine (31)

First Basemen

Jose Abreu (33)
Yonder Alonso (33) – $9MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Matt Carpenter (34) – $18.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Wilmer Flores (28)
Paul Goldschmidt (32)
Mitch Moreland (34)
Anthony Rizzo (30) – $14.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Eric Thames (33) – $7.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Ryan Zimmerman (35) – $18MM club option with a $2MM buyout

Second Basemen

Starlin Castro (30) – $16MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Scooter Gennett (30)
Jedd Gyorko (31) – $13MM club option for 2020 with a $1MM buyout
Brock Holt (32)
Howie Kendrick (36)
Jason Kipnis (33) – $16.5MM club option with a $2.5MM buyout
Jonathan Schoop (28)
Yangervis Solarte (32) – $8MM club option with a $750K buyout
Ben Zobrist (39)

Shortstops

Elvis Andrus (31) – if he does not opt out after the 2018 season, Andrus can opt out after 2019, at which point he would forgo $43MM from 2020-22
Xander Bogaerts (27)
Didi Gregorius (30)
Brock Holt (32)

Third Basemen

Nolan Arenado (29)
Matt Carpenter (34) – $18.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Todd Frazier (34)
Jedd Gyorko (31) – $13MM club option for 2020 with a $1MM buyout
Martin Prado (36)
Anthony Rendon (30)
Pablo Sandoval (33)
Yangervis Solarte (32) – $8MM club option with a $750K buyout

Left Fielders

Corey Dickerson (31)
Alex Gordon (36) – $23MM mutual option with a $4MM buyout
Matt Kemp (35)
J.D. Martinez (32) – can opt out of remaining three years, $62.5MM
Marcell Ozuna (29)

Center Fielders

Jarrod Dyson (35)
Billy Hamilton (29)
Aaron Hicks (30)
Austin Jackson (33)
Juan Lagares (31) – $9.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Starling Marte (31) – $11.5MM club option for 2020 with a $2MM buyout
Leonys Martin (32)

Right Fielders

Kole Calhoun (32) – $14MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Nicholas Castellanos (28)
Adam Eaton (31) – $9.5MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout
Avisail Garcia (29)
Jason Heyward (30) – if he does not opt out after the 2018 season, Heyward can opt out after 2019 with 550 PA that year, at which point he would forgo $86MM from 2020-23
Matt Kemp (35)
Chris Owings (28)
Yasiel Puig (29)
Eric Thames (33) – $7.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Ben Zobrist (39)

Designated Hitters

Khris Davis (32)
Edwin Encarnacion (37) – $20MM club option with a $5MM buyout
J.D. Martinez (32) – can opt out of remaining three years, $62.5MM
Kendrys Morales (37)
Mark Trumbo (34)

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/08/2019-20-mlb-free-agents.html
 
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NYCSox

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It's worth reminding everyone that Stanton is here for a long time but at a very cheap price. NY is only paying him $22.5M/yr (for luxury tax purposes). Not only is he very valuable to NYY, but he is very valuable to any team looking for a power bat with star power.

And a further look ahead, after the 2020 season, both Tanaka and Ellsbury are off the books ($44m).

There is so much free cash and payroll flexibility over the next three years that I can't see a Steinbrenner owned team, Cashman or not, sitting and waiting for the perfect players with perfect contracts. They're gonna get Machado.
It's actually 25M per for tax purposes but the cash outlay is significantly higher.

 

Murderer's Crow

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It's actually 25M per for tax purposes but the cash outlay is significantly higher.
That's incorrect. His AAV was $325/13 = $25M. The Marlins sent the Yankees $30m

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/11/sports/baseball/giancarlo-stanton-yankees-luxury-tax.html

Stanton’s charge against the payroll will be $22 million — the average per-year cost of his contract ($25 million) minus the $3 million per year offset from the $30 million the Marlins have agreed to pay the Yankees if Stanton does not opt out of his contract after the 2020 season. But the Yankees also saved $8.5 million by sending second baseman Starlin Castro to the Marlins.
 

jon abbey

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Murderer's Crow

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No, it's correct because those 13 years go back to when he originally signed the deal in 2015, the ten years NY took on are pricier, but not sure why anything but the AAV actually matters to anyone but NY ownership who can certainly afford it.
Yes, the part where we have the more expensive cash outflow is correct, but the AAV should be $22M. Though, I'll admit, I've seen a couple different answers on this.

Edit:

RAB has him at $22M (http://riveraveblues.com/2018/10/yankees-payroll-164320/)
 
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NYCSox

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Yes, the part where we have the more expensive cash outflow is correct, but the AAV should be $22M. Though, I'll admit, I've seen a couple different answers on this.
Actually I think you might be right. If you look at the third tab and scroll down there is a 3M credit to the total tax payroll.
 

jon abbey

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Yes, the part where we have the more expensive cash outflow is correct, but the AAV should be $22M. Though, I'll admit, I've seen a couple different answers on this.
No, you're right on that, the AAV NY took on is definitely an even $22M for 10 years, 9 now that 2018 is done.
 

Murderer's Crow

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Let us mark this day, the 30th of October, year 2018, where Crow was correct on SOSH.

To circle back though, I maintain that Stanton is an absolute bargain at $22M AAV. Strikeouts or not.
 

NYCSox

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Let us mark this day, the 30th of October, year 2018, where Crow was correct on SOSH.

To circle back though, I maintain that Stanton is an absolute bargain at $22M AAV. Strikeouts or not.
Well there are still the matters of the (1) 9/10 year commitment at $22M AAV and (2) actual cash outlays which increase as the contract is backloaded. Most other teams do care about those things.
 

Murderer's Crow

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Well there are still the matters of the (1) 9/10 year commitment at $22M AAV and (2) actual cash outlays which increase as the contract is backloaded. Most other teams do care about those things.
They may care about the high price of the later years, but with top free agents getting $25-35m nowadays, I'm not sure it would scare anyone off. This is all hypothetical because Cashman would have no reason to trade Stanton.
 

Saints Rest

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It seems to me that Cashman's first, second and third priorities should be starting pitching. He will have a lot of options out there for some excellent pitchers to slot around Severino and Tanaka (Corbin, Kershaw potentially, Keuchel, Ryu, Gio).
After that, maybe a couple decent role player veterans (Steve Pearce, for example) to provide leadership first and foremost to all the young talent.
 

sean1562

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Sep 17, 2011
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While that class may not be "amazing", a top 5 of FA position players of Arenado, Rendon Xander, Goldschmidt and Ozuna is pretty solid. I would think the first two would be huge commodities, especially since they can both actually play defense over at 3b, and are great hitters. I think Goldschmidt can be a force for at least 4 more years, and, while I admittedly thought that Ozuna was much younger, a big season from him next year could easily put him in that upper mid market that could get him paid while still being valuable. If Didi didn't get hurt, I think passing on Machado and waiting for Arenado may have been the strategy. I dont see that happening now. I think the the Nationals will open up their checkbooks to keep Rendon, especially after letting Harper walk and the stellar reputation Rendon has in DC.

I dont see the Yankees going after Xander, and I am not sure which other teams would be dying for a SS. Hopefully the Sox get lucky and can sign him for a large but "fair" contract
 

mikeysox

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Jul 15, 2005
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"I've been thinking about it, and it happens every time. There's no excuse for it, honestly," Machado told Rosenthal. "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 [seven] years, I'm in The Show for [seven] years, I've done the same thing for [seven] years, I've been the same player.
Machado reminds me of the kind of kid I always had a soft spot for when I worked with at risk youths. The fact that he has some awareness of his shortcomings and can talk about them but still keeps messing up is fascinating to me. Not unlike Manny Ramirez, who, despite his multiple fuck ups is still one of my favorite Red Sox.

Machado is a phenomenal talent and would make the Yankees better. I hope he signs with the Phillies.
 

jon abbey

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Jul 15, 2005
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Machado is a phenomenal talent and would make the Yankees better. I hope he signs with the Phillies.
I think the Phillies are going to blow their budget on Harper and that will take them out of Machado contention, but we'll see.

Thanks for bumping this thread, I meant to do it myself and forgot. Joel Sherman interviewed Buck Showalter about Machado the other day and there are some fantastic quotes in there. I will link the whole piece but these are my favorite quotes, one off and one on the field:

"Showalter added: “There is no doubt he will listen if he respects you. Are there going to be times you have to define reality to him? Yes.”"

"He played third base like no one I’ve seen. When he is engaged at third base, he does things no one has ever done. I know the guy in Colorado [Nolan Arenado] is great, but Manny is better. Sometimes at third base, he would get bored. Sometimes it comes too easy to him. Then suddenly he is throwing off the wrong foot or from a new angle and he can still do it."

https://nypost.com/2018/11/07/the-behind-the-scenes-problems-and-on-field-brilliance-of-manny-machado/