Yankees have free agent target Manny Machado right where they want him

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

All through the offseason, the Yankees' stance on Manny Machado has remained the same: They like the player, but won't go crazy for him, especially after a troubling postseason that raised serious questions about his on-field maturity. They believe they can assemble a championship-caliber team with or without him, and they do not expect to be the highest bidder.

By staying consistent in this stance, the team now finds itself in strong position because it's easier to win a negotiation when you are sincerely willing to walk away.

The guess here -- and really, it's just speculation because neither Machado nor his agent, Dan Lozano, has telegraphed his intentions to anyone in the media, as far as we can tell -- is that the Yankees will ultimately land him. Just call it a vibe we're catching.

If that happens, they will be a better team. Obviously. Machado is an elite defensive third baseman and a decent shortstop. He is one of the better hitters in the league, though not one of the 10 best last year by OPS (he finished 11th) or WAR, where he was 14th. Machado's career home/road OPS splits (.887 at home, the vast majority of that time at hitter-friendly Camden Yards in Baltimore, versus .761 on the road) have surely not escaped the front office's notice, but they know he's an all-world talent.

Machado is nowhere near as good as, say, Alex Rodriguez when the Yankees acquired him in 2004. But he is far and away the best available position player in a winter that finds the Yankees once again chasing the World Series champion Red Sox. The Yankees being the Yankees, they have to do something, and Machado is an upgrade.

But if he decides to squeeze every dollar from the White Sox or Phillies instead? The Yankees will shrug and move onto the pitching market, and patch up shortstop with some combination of Tyler Wade, Gleyber Torres, Troy Tulowitzki (if his deal gets done), and maybe an Adeiny Hechaverria type until Didi Gregorius returns from Tommy John surgery. This won't be ideal, but it won't break their hearts, either.

Fact is, it's hard to sign a player to a contract of more than six or seven years without feeling heavy doses of doubt and buyers' remorse. And the Yankees, who were so relieved to finally be out from A-Rod's second megadeal, and are still dealing with Jacoby Ellsbury's and Giancarlo Stanton's, will surely feel at least some measure of relief if Machado goes elsewhere.

The whole point of the Stanton trade last winter, in fact, was to outsmart the idea of this Machado/Bryce Harper free agent bonanza by having the Marlins pick up a chunk of the contract. As soon as Brian Cashman found that discount, his enthusiasm for this free agent class diminished.

Because Cashman is the GM of the New York Yankees, he is pursuing Machado anyway. Although, come to think of it, pursuing might not be quite the right word. It's not like the Yankees are chasing Machado. And because they are legitimately able to play it cool, that might be how they ultimately land him.

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