Share
Sports

Yankees Reportedly Already Out on One of MLB's Biggest Free Agents

Share

The New York Yankees are typically one of the most active participants in free agency every year, but the Bronx Bombers are reportedly out on one of the biggest prizes in this year’s crop.

The Yankees won’t be pursuing Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, according to MLB Radio’s Steve Phillips, citing a source.

The Yankees have a good outfield in Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Plus, they just re-signed veteran Brett Gardner, 35, to a one-year, $9.5 million deal, and veteran Jacoby Ellsbury and 24-year-old Clint Frazier, among others, for depth.

Trending:
KJP Panics, Hangs Up in Middle of Interview When Reporter Shows He Isn't a Democratic Party Propagandist

Harper, 26, is a five-time all-star and former MVP (2015) and Rookie of the Year (2012) for the Washington Nationals. Last year, he hit 34 home runs and had 100 RBIs, but hit just .249 — which was 70 points lower than the previous year.

Will Bryce Harper re-sign with the Nationals?

Phillips says pursuing Manny Machado and starting pitchers are the top priorities for the Yankees this offseason.

But there have been reports that the Yankees, once considered the front-runners for Machado, are now lukewarm on the idea of signing him.

Sportsnet New York’s Andy Martino reported last week that team’s brass was not impressed with Machado’s performance in the playoffs — referencing not his lackluster .182 average during the World Series, but some of his on-field antics.

That included not running out ground balls and coming under scrutiny for numerous dirty plays.

The Brewers’ Christian Yelich called Machado a “dirty player” for making contact with the leg of Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running out a ground ball in the NLCS. Machado then appeared to intentionally spike the foot of Boston first baseman Steve Pearce in the World Series.

These incidents made the Yankees wary of committing big money over a long-term deal to Machado, Martino reports.

Related:
Devout Christian and MLB Legend Darryl Strawberry Hospitalized After Medical Emergency, Still Glorifies God

After they were eliminated by the Red Sox in the ALCS, the Yankees learned their current shortstop, Didi Gregorius, may miss a good portion of the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right arm.

Gregorius, 28, is excellent defensively and above average with the bat, hitting .268 with 27 home runs and 86 RBIs last year. So the question for the Yankees is do you plug the short-term hole at shortstop with a stop-gap measure or go big and get Machado?

Also, the Yankees could move Gleyber Torres from second base to play shortstop until Gregorius returns and play Ronald Torreyes or Adeiny Hechavarria at second. The Yankees also have a promising young player in Miguel Andujar at third, a position that Machado also plays.

The Yankees have far more question marks in their starting rotation. J.A. Happ and C.C. Sabathia are free agents, so they will need to shore up a staff that currently looks like it includes only Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka.

The Yankees may consider re-signing Happ, 35, who pitched well after the Yankees picked him up in a trade with Toronto in July. Other possible free agent pitching targets include the Arizona’s Patrick Corbin and Houston’s Dallas Keuchel, the New York Post reported.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , ,
Share
Dave is a lifelong sports fan who has been writing for The Wildcard since 2017. He has been a writer for more than 20 years for a variety of publications.
Dave has been writing about sports for The Wildcard since 2017. He's been a reporter and editor for over 20 years, covering everything from sports to financial news. In addition to writing for The Wildcard, Dave has covered mutual funds for Pensions and Investments, meetings and conventions, money market funds, personal finance, associations, and he currently covers financial regulations and the energy sector for Macallan Communications. He has won awards for both news and sports reporting.
Location
Massachusetts
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Sports




Conversation