Manny Machado met with three teams — the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies — this week while contemplating his future as a free agent.
But it doesn’t sound like his decision is imminent.
Machado, arguably the best player available on the open market, told the three aforementioned teams he won’t sign a new contract until after Jan. 1, according to Fancred’s Jon Heyman.
Manny Machado has conveyed to the three known interested teams — White Sox, Yankees and Phillies — that his decision will come after the new year.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 21, 2018
This, of course, leaves the White Sox, Yankees and Phillies in limbo while keeping the door open for other clubs to pursue the four-time All-Star. (After all, who doesn’t love when a “mystery team” joins the mix and throws a wrench into everything?)
Machado, who spent six-plus seasons with the Baltimore Orioles before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July, is one of the best players in Major League Baseball. He’s coming off a 2018 campaign in which he batted .297 with 37 home runs, 107 RBIs and a .905 OPS, and should land a huge payday as a 26-year-old superstar in the prime of his career.
