The New York Yankees had reportedly been interested and even close to a deal with superstar free agent Manny Machado, according to some reporters…cough, cough Dan Clark. While the rumors proved to be false, we have learned a few things about high-priced free agents and why chasing after them isn’t the most advisable move.
Showing too much interest in any given player raises the price-tag inevitably, and the Yankees played a very interesting game to distract the rest of the league from their real targets. General manager Brian Cashman utilized the media in a way that convinced the fans and other teams that they were all-in on Machado, while they were secretly planning to sign much cheaper veteran players.
The New York Yankees’ additions:
The Yanks proceeded to acquire Troy Tulowitzki, D.J. LeMahieu and Adam Ottavino. All three will play big roles on the starting roster this season for a fraction of the cost.
Where Machado wanted a hefty 10-year, $300 million deal, the Yankees managed to snag three talented players for $150 million. That’s not even including starting pitcher James Paxton. The cost-efficiency of these deals are simply genius, as the Yankees were lacking a few pieces to the puzzle in 2018 — defense and consistent pitching down the stretch were two of the factors that saw them struggle against the Boston Red Sox.
Defensive improvement:
Adding five Gold Gloves between Tulo and LeMahieu will be extremely beneficial, and their veteran leadership will assist in the development of Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres. Ottavino, on the other hand, is a strikeout machine and will be a huge addition to the bullpen.
The Yankees have seemingly improved considerably after these moves, and all it took was a smoke-screen and a bit of sensationalism in the media to cloud the view of other teams.