Former New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira has some thoughts regarding the unsigned status of major free agents Manny Machado and Bryce Harper.
Some of you have never had to sit through a free agent signing period this boring and it really shows right now.
Mark Teixeira is one of those people.
Ever since he finished his career with the New York Yankees, he’s taken his talents to “speaking out about the sport of baseball.” Appearing on “SportsCenter,” Teix gave his opinion on why the free agent pool is still loaded with big fish this late in the game.
Of course, the two biggest fish have to be Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, both high-profile players who were expected to be inked right away.
So why are they still unsigned?
“There’s two things being said right now about Harper and Machado,” Teixeira said on Sportscenter. “While these two are great players, the numbers just don’t say they’re worth 30 to 40 million dollars a year. Plus, the fact that at 32, 33, the decline of players, that’s when it’s starting to happen now, players aren’t on steroids and getting better into their 30s, so they’re saying, ‘Okay, well, I’m willing to pay you $25 million bucks for maybe seven years,’ that doesn’t get close to what these guys are looking for in free agency.”
In a way, he’s absolutely right. In another reality, what numbers is he looking at?
Teix doesn’t give specifics in terms of numbers so we can’t tell what exactly he’s looking at. But on the surface, I would have to politely disagree. These are two players who haven’t even hit their prime yet and are some of the top talents in the league. How could you not pay these exceptional young players?
Sure, a 10-year deal might be way too much but their numbers speak for themselves. They are both worth the cash.
But at the same time, Machado and Harper remain on the market with spring training lurking just two weeks away.
Maybe Mark Teixeira is right? Or maybe he’s just jealous he never got that kind of cash. Regardless, time is ticking. Where are these two going to sign?
