The Manny Machado sweepstakes continue to prolong and the New York Yankees are starting to be on the outside looking in.
Manny Machado is currently sitting on an eight-year contract offer from the Chicago White Sox, according to a report from Jeff Passan of ESPN.
The Chicago White Sox have offered Manny Machado an eight-year deal and could be compelled to go even longer, league sources tell ESPN. The Phillies remain in on him as their Bryce Harper pursuit heats up. The latest on the biggest free agents, at ESPN: https://t.co/UojB6trmDX
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 14, 2019
There have been no reports on the exact dollar amount the offer is, but it is believed that Machado has been insistent on an offer being around the $300 million range.
With an offer being submitted like this one thing is becoming more and more obvious as this offseason continues to unfold, teams are unwilling to offer 10 years in contract negotiations.
This is quite a difference compared to offseasons of pasts as the likes of Robinson Cano, Albert Pujols, and Alex Rodriguez have all been beneficiaries of 10-year deals. But teams are smarter now and are more strategic with their money than they were when those big names hit the market, and that is probably why it has taken Machado some time to make a decision on where he’ll play for the foreseeable future.
Nowhere in Passan’s report does it say the Yankees have made an offer to Machado or that New York is out on the 26-year-old superstar. With the signing of DJ LeMhaieu, some around the league feel the Yankees took themselves out of the Machado sweepstakes as their infield gets more and more crowded by the day.
The White Sox also have interest in Bryce Harper, but reports around the league say the Philadelphia Phillies are emerging as the favorites to land him. Either way, both of free agency’s biggest names have yet to make a decision with Spring Training a month away.
These next few weeks will be one hell of a ride.
