There has been a lot of talk about Manny Machado preferring to sign with the New York Yankees and potentially taking less money to do so, but that would require the Bronx Bombers making him an honest offer. At this point, that hardly seems like a given.
Machado is said to be seeking somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 million, and there has been no indication that the Yankees are willing to go that high. It has been more than three weeks since Machado met with the Yanks in New York, and Jack Curry of the YES Network reports that there has been barely any communication between the two sides over that period.
I don't think the Yankees will stand up and publicly say they're out on Machado, but they're making moves that are indicating that is the case. There's been scant contact between the sides since Machado met with them.
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) January 11, 2019
In November, I asked Cashman if the Yankees would make "splashy moves" this off-season and he said they would rather make smart and savvy moves. That answer and additional reporting is why I've always thought a marriage between Machado and the Yankees was unlikely.
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) January 11, 2019
It seems like one of two things is happening with the Yankees and Machado — either they don’t think there is another team willing to meet his contract demands and are opting to slow-play things, or they simply don’t want to sign him. Whatever the case, we have heard numerous reports that they are not aggressively pursuing him.
Unless a mystery team emerges, it sounds like Machado does not have many suitors. If the Phillies end up signing Bryce Harper and the Chicago White Sox truly aren’t willing to make a substantial offer, Machado may not be in a great position of strength. That probably has a lot to do with the way the Yankees are handling negotiations with him.
