Machado’s behavior won’t cost him in free agency
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LOS ANGELES – This is a celebrated World Series overflowing with perennial All-Stars, MVPs, Cy Young winners and future Hall of Famers, but no one is captivating America’s attention like Manny Machado.
We’re mesmerized by his every move. Will he blast a home run or strike out? Sprint to first base or jog? Make gestures to incite the opposing crowd or show no reaction?
All we know is this: Soon, he will be the richest player in baseball history.
Machado, whose bad on-field behavior has been on full display this postseason, is entering free agency as the hottest commodity on the market, along with outfielder Bryce Harper.
The Dodgers have shown no indication they will try to re-sign him, and even if they entertained the notion when they gave up six prospects to acquire him from the Orioles at the July 31 trade deadline, it’s vanished now. They love talent but have seen the warts and blemishes that have been exposed underneath the infielder’s worldly talent.
Machado’s sins just this October include kicking Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar in the leg, saying he’ll never be “Johnny Hustle” during a Fox interview after refusing to run hard to first, and making lewd gestures on the field.
Really, there are only a few teams willing to spend at least $300 million for the mercurial star, and villain of this postseason, with the Yankees as the front-runners, while the Phillies plan to also be in the bidding. When he ultimately signs his deal, he will surpass Dodgers teammate and three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw’s annual average salary of $34 million. He’ll eclipse Red Sox starter David Price’s
$217 million contract. And he’ll certainly dwarf Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez’s
$110 million deal.
“I do know this,” says former third baseman Alex Rodriguez, now an analyst for Fox Sports and ESPN, “I’m very, very bullish on long-term stock on Manny Machado. If owners or front offices try to judge his character by the handful of things that he’s done, that’s a huge mistake. Whoever signs him will win big. Real big.”
In a USA TODAY survey of 20 Major League Baseball general managers, executives, and scouts, not a single person thinks Machado’s behavior will cause any team to lose interest.
Oh sure, there have been red flags. The Phillies, who extensively scouted Machado, were wary of his lack of effort down the stretch. Others wondered how his signing would be perceived by their fan base. But most think giving Machado a support team to help keep his focus on his performance, and to squelch any tendency to be rebellious when criticized, would qualm any fears.
There are no infielders on the market who can compare to a 26-year-old, fourtime All-Star who’s one of the finest allaround players. He plays Gold Glove defense at third base, proved this season he can also play shortstop, and can hit with power, producing at least 33 home runs in each of the last four seasons.
Rodriguez might be the X factor in determining Machado’s ultimate destination. He is a friend of Machado’s and was his idol growing up in Miami — Machado honors him by wearing his number 13 — and he happens to be a Yankees special assistant who is close to owner Hal Steinbrenner.
The Yankees have an urgent need for a shortstop with Didi Gregorius, a free agent after 2019, out for at least half of next season while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. They again have the desire to spend big money now that they’re under the $197 million luxury tax. And can you imagine a more terrifying heart of the order with Aaron Judge, Machado and Giancarlo Stanton?
Rodriguez says he’s unable to discuss specific conversations he’s had with the Yankees about Machado, but rest assured, the topic has come up.
So let everyone else keep talking about the cheap shots, the dirty plays and the immature gestures.
Rodriguez, a three-time MVP who also played third base and shortstop and signed two of the most lucrative deals in baseball history, is keenly familiar with how poor behavior distracts from pure talent. His career was marred by his connection to the Biogeneis scandal and use of performance-enhancing drugs, controversial plays, and off-thefield headlines while he was a Yankee. But he sees only ultra-competitiveness, passion and desire in Machado.
“What I’m most saddened by,” Rodriguez says, “is the narrative hasn’t been how great of a player he is or how good he’s been at shortstop, but all of the white noise. He’s a supreme talent and extremely competitive. I don’t think any of us want to look back and be judged on how we behaved in our 20s. He’s a great kid who has made mistakes. I wish I had made my last mistake when I was 26.
“But the one thing overlooked is his passion. Tremendous passion for the game. I would much rather have a player with passion that makes mistakes rather than a player with no passion that doesn’t make mistakes.”
It’s a view shared by most baseball executives, who love Machado’s old school approach. He couldn’t care less what the opposition thinks of him, doesn’t have an ounce of phony inside him and is one of the most gifted young players this game has seen.
If nothing else this postseason, Machado has shown that no moment is too big. The bigger the stage, the brighter the lights, the better he plays.
“Every Hollywood script needs a great villain. Manny is playing that. And embracing that,” Rodriguez says.
Machado, who has never had a scintilla of trouble off the field, has been on his best behavior since the World Series began. He’s keeping his answers brief, sticking to the theme that he cares only about winning a championship, while showing off his supreme talent.
“I play hard for my ballclub,” he says. “Whatever uniform I put on, I’m going to bleed and die for that team. I hustle; I run down the line. I do whatever I can to win ballgames. Everyone has their own different personalities in the game. Not everybody can be robots. I’m just going to go out there and play my game. I’m going to be me.”
Spoken like the next great Yankees star.