What if all of Manny Machado’s potential suitors offered the free-agent superstar the same amount of money? Would he definitely sign with the New York Yankees?
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman seems to think so.
Sherman explored the Yankees’ offseason Tuesday after Patrick Corbin reportedly agreed to a six-year, $140 million contract with the Washington Nationals. He considered what the Yankees plan to do next after losing out on the left-hander, and Machado’s name came up, with Sherman suggesting the 26-year-old would sign with New York if all things were equal.
Here’s what Sherman wrote about Machado:
“He will have options, but does he want to, say, risk putting himself off the baseball radar to maximize dollars, as (Robinson) Cano did by going to Seattle? The White Sox, for example, are viewed as motivated shoppers at the top of the market, but also do not appear close to winning. Machado, if he could pick a place, would choose the Yankees. But that also was true about Corbin, and he followed the money, as most businessmen (including those who play baseball) do.”
The Yankees were heavily linked to Corbin before he reportedly agreed to sign with the Nationals. New York reportedly offered Corbin a five-year contract, though, whereas Washington evidently was willing to offer a six-year pact — seemingly a deal-breaker in the hurler’s free agency process.
Could a similar narrative play out with regards to Machado?
Corbin, a New York native, was more of a slam-dunk fit given the Yankees’ starting pitching needs, but Machado is one of the best all-around players in Major League Baseball and the Bronx Bombers never should be ruled out when it comes to high-profile free agents. The question is whether the Yankees are willing to meet Machado’s contractual demands or if the four-time All-Star ultimately will secure a better deal elsewhere.
If the Yankees offer the same amount as their competitors for Machado, however, it’s not unreasonable to think he’d want to take his talents to New York, as Sherman suggests: Machado would join one of the most storied franchises in professional sports and have an immediate opportunity to contend for a World Series title, something that has eluded him to this point in his career.
