With hot stove rumors swirling, it’s time to look at why Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are not the answers for the Yankees woes.
It has almost been four weeks since the Yankees were eliminated by the World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox.
Since this occurred, Yankees fans across the globe have been in a frenzy. As a matter of fact, they want to spend money that does not belong to them. To their defense, this is quite the free agent class in which you can make a splash.
But is this the answer? I’m not sure it is.
The Yankees losing a best of five series last month to a division rival should not be the reason why they change course. After all, they were a year ahead of schedule in 2017 and once again gained postseason experience this past October.
However, it just so happens that it is 2019 and ballplayers like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are available. While it is safe to assume that the Yankees brass targeted this year as the time to rebuild the empire, that idea came well before this Yankees team created its own identity.
Manny Machado looked like a great future investment when Chase Headley was playing 140 games at third base in 2016. At the same time, Bryce Harper looked to be what the Yankees needed when Carlos Beltran and Aaron Hicks combined to play 126 games in right field that same season.
Fast forward two years and both Miguel Andujar and Aaron Judge have been more than serviceable at those positions. With that said, the Yankees front office should instead shift their focus to starting pitching and diverse utility players.
Want to know what the Yankees did not have that the Red Sox had last season?
They did not steal the number of bases that the Red Sox did (125 to 63) and their .077 batting average in October with runners in scoring position was inferior to the Red Sox .420 batting average in that same scenario.
To continue to build off the last couple of seasons, these are the areas in which Brian Cashman and company should focus. Take the money you intended to spend on Machado and/or Harper and put it towards today’s needs.
Scrappy ballplayers, clutch contact hitters and starting pitching.