When the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Manny Machado at the non-waiver trade deadline this past season, they were said to have an open mind to possibly re-signing him. That was despite Corey Seager being expected to make a full recovery from Tommy John and hip surgeries.
Although Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman didn’t rule out the possibility, it nonetheless seemed farfetched considering Machado was expected to command a long-term contract in the neighborhood of $300 million.
A bit of an inconsistent showing with the Dodgers and throughout the postseason, coupled with questionable remarks about not being ‘Johnny Hustle,’ have led to a bit of tempered market for the 26-year-old.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, that’s included the Dodgers not making any effort to re-sign Machado thus far:
Yet the Dodgers — who sank under the luxury-tax threshold last year to reset the percentage they would pay moving forward — have not pursued Manny Machado at all.
While the Dodgers don’t appear interested in retaining Machado, he’s begun visiting teams this week. Up first were the New York Yankees, followed by the Philadelphia Phillies. The two clubs have been among the most connected to potentially signing Machado.
Most prognosticators have Machado ultimately signing with a Phillies team that’s long been pegged as one that will be aggressive this offseason. They’ve already signed veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen to a three-year contract.
That the Dodgers do not appear to have made any attempts to retain him is hardly a surprise. Friedman has shied away from the type of contract he is seeking, and the team has greater needs on their roster.
