Report: Yankees' interest in Machado will depend on price tag
It turns out the New York Yankees might have some interest in Manny Machado after all.
Although they've previously been said to be "lukewarm" on the prospect of signing the All-Star infielder, the Yankees will reportedly take a look at Machado this winter - but their interest will depend on how much money he's asking for, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports.
Heyman added that upgrading starting pitching remains New York's offseason priority, regardless of its level of interest in Machado.
The Yankees have long been connected to Machado, who they know well from their AL East battles with his former team, the Baltimore Orioles. But his up-and-down postseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which included an admission that hustling isn't his "cup of tea," appears to have changed the Yankees' perception of the 26-year-old.
"We're open to him but a lot more discussion is necessary," a Yankees insider told Wallace Matthews of the New York Daily News on Sunday. "The character thing is important. It also depends on how much he wants and who else is out there."
Machado, who posted a .905 OPS over 709 plate appearances split between the Orioles and Dodgers this past season, is expected to command a significant contract as one of the top free agents available. It remains unknown as to whether his playoff controversies might cost him financially, be it with the Yankees or another franchise, although one player agent speculated to Matthews that Machado's World Series performance will "cost him at least $100 million."
The Yankees' 2018 payroll came in below the league's luxury-tax threshold, perhaps giving them some financial wiggle room this winter.