Oct 28, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado (8) reacts after striking out against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning in game five of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees looking past superstar free agent Manny Machado and focusing on strengthening the weaker units on the team in a cost-efficient manner has put them in a position to win. Yes, Machado is a generational talent that has a career .282 BA and hit .297 in 2018, but his price-tag makes his services a huge risk.
The former Oriole and Dodgers is looking for a 10-year, $300 million deal. The Yankees reportedly didn’t want to surpass $200 million, and they certainly didn’t as they elected to take a cheaper route that included several veterans. Machado’s skills would have benefited the infield greatly, but it would’ve forced the team to rearrange their positioning – Miguel Andujar would’be been forced to move.
Shifting the starting unit could’ve created development problems, and to be quite frank, it could have been simply too complicated. Addressing the weaknesses with value and not compromising the talent already on the team was the most effective method in regard to improving the Yankees.
Most tend to forget that the Bombers finished last season with 100 wins. They lost star slugger Aaron Judge for nearly nine weeks, their young catcher had the worst season in his career, big-money free agent Giancarlo Stanton had a relatively off-year, and their first-base situation was a revolving door of problems.
Next season, they will return with Judge 100% healthy, Gary Sanchez will have a fresh start, Stanton will be used to the New York atmosphere, and the first-base position will remain a question mark.
Additionally, general manager Brian Cashman allocated resources to improve the infield’s defense, and he signed several talented relief pitchers to upgrade the bullpen. He also traded for James Paxton to ameliorate the starting pitching.
So, to those that continue to complain that the Yankees did the wrong thing by skipping right over Machado, you will soon understand that there’s more value in four talented players the refine several units than one to improve a single position that’s already filled by the runner up for Offensive Rookie of the Year — Miguel Andujar (2018).
This post was published on 2019-01-30 06:45
