Friedman: Machado’s lack of hustle not a secret
CARLSBAD, CALIF. >> Andrew Friedman knew he was getting a player who didn’t hustle all the time when he traded for Manny Machado. Still, the Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations was willing to acquire the fourtime All-Star infielder because his good points outweighed the bad.
“He got booed in Baltimore three weeks before we traded for him,” Friedman said Tuesday at the general managers’ meetings. “It’s not like it was a secret. I think it’s never a fun thing to watch, at least from my perspective and vantage point, but I do think it’s important to dig further into that, and I think there are times when guys do that and they don’t really care. And I think there are other times where guys do it and they really do care, and by care I mean the effort they put into their work, the type of teammate they are, and Manny checks all those boxes.”
Machado is among the top two free agents on the market along with outfielder Bryce Harper after a 3½-month stay with the Dodgers. The 26-year-old was acquired from the Orioles in mid-July and took over the shortstop job that opened when Corey Seager tore an elbow ligament in late April that required season-ending surgery.
Machado hit .273 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs in 66 games, and the Dodgers won their second straight NL pennant. He hit .227 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 16 postseason games, including .182 (4 for 22) with three RBIs in the five-game World Series loss to Boston.
He kicked Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar near the ankle as he jogged out a groundout during the NL Championship Series, leading to a $10,000 fine, and was criticized for a pair of hard slides into Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia, prompting Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich to call Machado “a dirty player.”
Machado stood at home plate watching a fly ball in Game 3 that bounced off a wall and became a
368-foot single, spiked Boston first baseman Steve Pearce in Game
4 and fell to a knee striking out against Chris Sale in Game 5, ending the Dodgers’ second straight World Series loss.
“So would I rather see more effort as I’m watching? Of course. I think anyone would say that,” Friedman said. “But I think that in and of itself isn’t as critical of a dynamic as it would be if he didn’t care, if he didn’t put in the work, didn’t put in the effort, and that in our 3 ½ months of being around him was really strong.”
Source: Sabathia agrees to stay with Yankees
CARLSBAD, CALIF,>> CC Sabathia is staying with the Yankees for an 11th season, agreeing to an $8 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement is subject to a successful physical.
The 38-year-old left-hander went 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts this year. He had surgery on his right knee after the 2010 season, in July 2014, after the 2016 season and again last month. Sabathia pitches with a brace on the knee and needs periodic injections there during the season. He is 129-80 for the Yankees, and his new deal boosts his pay from New York to $229 million over 11 seasons.
McCullers to miss ’19 season
CARLSBAD >> Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. will miss all of next season following Tommy John surgery.
Houston announced McCullers had the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow repaired.
The 25-year-old was 10-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 22 starts and three relief appearances this year, striking out 142 in 128 1/3 innings. He was 10-4 before the All-Star break, then went on the disabled list from Aug. 5 to Sept. 24 because of elbow discomfort.