Report: Manny Machado controversies unlikely to impact free agency
It hasn’t been the best week for Manny Machado PR-wise, but don’t count on it costing him too much money once he fits free agency.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, few in the game think that his actions in the past week, including his comments about a lack of hustle, will do much to hurt Machado’s value. One executive described the impact as “minimal,” while another used the word “marginal.”
Part of the reason for this is these revelations will come as little surprise to anyone in the game, especially the hustle comments. One scout noted that “that’s been Manny since Day 1.”
In fact, Machado’s dirty play may be a bigger deal, but even then, teams seem fairly unconcerned. Ultimately, Machado is one of the top two prized free agents set to hit the market, and is only 26 years old. Teams will forgive a lot when that caliber of talent becomes available at that age.
