The Manny Machado free agent sweepstakes is beginning to heat up and the all-star will reportedly be waiting until the new year to sign with his new team.
The 3-team race for super free agent infielder Manny Machado is seemingly nearing an end. According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, Machado is expected to decide which team, out of the Yankees, Phillies, or White Sox, that he will be signing with after 2019 breaks in.
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 may come as a bit of a disappointment to hot stove fans, but it shouldn’t come as much of a shock.
Machado, his wife Yainee, and his representatives went on a 3-city in 5 days tour this week, visiting the White Sox on Monday & Tuesday, the Yankees on Wednesday then wrapped up with the Phillies on Thursday. It probably should’ve been expected for Machado and his team to take the upcoming holidays to spend mulling his future while surrounded by family.
Machado’s meetings with the Phillies and White Sox seemed to take much longer than his time in the Bronx, but the dinner that Team Machado & Yankees brass (including newly hired Carlos Beltran) went on in later was said to last around 3 hours, and that must be factored in.
All things considered, it’s fairly clear that Machado would like to sign with the Yankees. His close friends and family have told baseball insiders that he wants to be in the Bronx, and Yankees execs told Yankees beat reporters that they got the same vibe from Machado after they met with the free agent.
Whether or not his desire to play in the pinstripes will override his desire to earn the most money possible is yet to be seen. It’s likely that the opposition in Chicago and Philadelphia is prepared to offer more money, but if the offers are somewhat close, Manny is expected to choose the Yanks.
From now until 2019, fans of these three teams and baseball fans alike will be looking for any sense of a hint as to where Machado might be leaning towards.
Stay tuned.