The New York Yankees are one of the favorites to sign Manny Machado this offseason, and one pitcher who has faced him many times in the AL East is operating under the assumption that the slugger will return to the division.
On Thursday, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman predicted that it is only a matter of time before Machado signs with the Yankees.
Machado is going to the Yankees. Yankees go out and get everyone. Red Sox are lethal. Rays are dangerous. Can never sleep on the Orioles. I’m going to the gym. Gonna be in my zone all year. Excited to compete in the best division in baseball! #ALEast
— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) December 20, 2018
Stroman then sent a series of tweets about how difficult it is to pitch in the AL East but how much he enjoys it.
“Pitching in the AL East be stressful man. Lol,” Stroman wrote. “All pitchers be avoiding the AL East for a reason. I honestly love being in it. Gotta bring your legit A+ game every single day. That s— excites me!”
If the Blue Jays want to keep pace in what could be baseball’s toughest division, they will need Stroman to improve upon his disappointing 2018 season. The left-hander went 4-9 with a 5.54 ERA in 19 appearances. He was much more dominant in 33 appearances in 2017, posting a 13-9 record with a 3.09 ERA.
The Yankees met with Machado for quite a while on Wednesday, and they reportedly had some concerns about his character that they wanted to speak with him about. If Machado does sign with New York, he’ll have to accept moving from shortstop back to third base. That is something he is apparently open to if the money is right.
