WILL 2019 BRING THE YANKEES “MANNY” HAPPY MOMENTS?

As of today, we still await the final team selection by Manny Machado.  In the end, he will become a new player for one of the three teams he met with earlier this month:  the Phillies, White Sox, or Yankees.  Supposedly, he and his agent are trying to achieve a $30 million per year deal with a term of 10 years.  There are rumors that the Yankees have offered approximately $250 million for 8 years, which would slightly exceed the $30 million per year average Machado and his agent seeks.  Will 8 years be enough length, which would bring Manny to the age of 34 when he would then have to reapply for free agency?  Is there a compromise at 9 years?

I would offer the 8 years, but I would overload it with incentives.  Those incentives would have to be overly attractive in order to fend off the Phillies and White Sox who could both easily go over the top with a 10-year offer, perhaps at $31 or $32 million per year.  For instance, the Yankees could offer Manny the $250 million deal with 8 years guaranteed, but put incentives that would then ultimately offer him a yearly average of $34 million if he achieves/achieved specific offensive numbers and at-bats per season and still offer him a player option after the 8th year, offering him approximately $28 million for an extended two years.  That would then make the whole deal potentially worth $328 million.

Many Yankees’ fans are leery about Manny becoming a Yankee.  The main concern is based on his lack of hustle, which he’s demonstrated several times during the regular season and during this past season’s playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers.  In one of those playoff games, he failed to run to first base on a ground ball during the National League Championship Series.  After the game, he was confronted with questions surrounding that lack of hustle.  He was quoted as saying, “Obviously, I’m not going to change, I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle” and run down the line and slide to first base.”  He then added, “That’s just not my personality, that’s not my cup of tea, that’s not who I am.”

Shortly thereafter, at the Winter Meetings, Hal Steinbrenner was asked about his concern regarding the free agent and stated, “Certainly, those comments are troubling.”  Hal later told reporters that, if the Yankees do decide to pursue Manny, they’d bring up that concern as a big part of their evaluation.  There were comparisons to former Yankee, Robinson Cano, made by some reporters and some former MLB players.  Cano, too, had moments where he lacked hustle.  Some in baseball feel that you don’t have to hustle all or even most of the time, even though beloved players such as Derek Jeter and Joe DiMaggio exemplified it during their at-bats.  Their main point is that hustling all the time can lead to an injury whereas players like Cano and (so far) Manny have avoided major injuries.  Statistically, the majority of such non-hustled plays would have ended up being an out at first base, anyway.  Even self-admired non-homers would statistically become doubles, just like they usually do once such a player finally decides to run hard during their last 90 feet, after slowly jogging towards first base on their first 90 feet after their contact swing.

I, personally, agree with those who feel a player should hustle down the lines - I love that continuous desire in a player.  As a fan (as Joe DiMaggio suggested) we appreciate full effort from the players who we basically pay!  With that said, I also appreciate the offensive numbers that Manny produces each year.  His production is superior against almost every single player in baseball today.  In fact, if he were to join the Yankees, he would instantly become their best (or second best) offensive player.  He is also more of a clutch hitter than most of the current Yankees - and, he hits well against the Red Sox.  Those reasons, along with his excellent third-base defensive skills (where he would end up playing if he signed with the Yankees once/if Didi returns) are enough reasons for me to accept his sporadic lack of hustle.  By the way, his defensive skills as a shortstop are very iffy; so, if we do sign him, we should hope Didi returns as soon as possible.

With 2019 about to begin, we will find out very soon which team Manny selects.  I’m overly hoping it’s with us!  No matter what the outcome becomes…Happy New Year!!