MLB Rumors: Manny Machado Willing To Wait For The $300 Million Offer He Wants, Could Be Major Blow To Yankees
Manny Machado is rumored to be disappointed with the offers he’s gotten so far and is willing to wait for a team to offer the $300 million contract he believes he deserves, a development that could be a major blow to the New York Yankees.
Machado and fellow big-ticket free agent Bryce Harper have lingered for months on the open market, as teams seem less than willing to give them the mega contracts that other players of their stature — and even some below — have garnered in recent years. The extended stalemate had led to some speculation that new teams may be moving in on Machado — namely the New York Yankees — as he considers short-term deals.
However, a new report from posted by Jon Heyman (of the MLB Network) on Twitter indicates that Machado is willing to wait for the offer he wants.
“Heard in Miami circles: It’s about the deal, he’s disappointed with the offers so far and Machado is willing to wait for what he think he’s worth (said to be about $300M),” Heyman tweeted. “There is some strategy to this, as his market may improve if Harper goes off board first,” Heyman tweeted.
It is not clear how long Machado would have to wait, but teams have already opened training camps in the past week, with pitchers and catchers reporting.
That new rumor would seem to put the emphasis back on the teams closest in the running for Manny Machado, including the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres.
The Padres have been particularly aggressive, as Ken Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that members of the Padres front office flew to Miami during the last week to meet with Machado and his wife.
Padres meet with Manny Machado for second time https://t.co/1J8aSZe8ie pic.twitter.com/1ApqWB25ZI
— New York Post (@nypost) February 15, 2019
The latest report about Manny Machado waiting for the right offer differs from a previous report from Yahoo, which details that Machado may be shifting his strategy to consider short term deals that might offer more per-year money. Opening up his free agency strategy might favor the New York Yankees — a team that had reportedly been interested in Machado — but wasn’t offering the long-term deals as some of the other teams in contention.
Other reports suggest that money is the top factor for Manny Machado, with the slugger going with whichever team offers him the best deal. That could also be a blow to the Yankees, taking away one of the top draws of coming to a championship-ready team in the Bronx, even if it meant taking a bit less money.
