MLB Rumors: Lack Of Long-Term Offers May Force Manny Machado To Widen His Horizons And Look At New Teams

Manny Machado would like a long-term deal and somewhere in the neighborhood of a $300 million contract, but with the market not delivering, he may soon be forced to change his strategy and widen his horizons.

One of the top offseason prizes along with Bryce Harper, Machado has yet to make a decision on where he will play this season as he mulls over offers and reportedly seeks something higher than the seven-year, $175 million offer that CBS Sports reported the Chicago White Sox had offered him. The Sox have made a new offer, but Machado remains unsigned and Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated thinks that he may soon shift his strategy.

Reiter said he believes that Machado may be forced to change his mind about seeking a long-term deal and be forced to accept a big-money but shorter-term contract. That would mean the field is again wide open for Machado, and the New York Yankees or any team willing to shell out big bucks for the next two to three years could land him.

It is not clear yet if Machado will be able to get the long-term deal he seeks. There had been rumors that the White Sox sent a new offer of $250 million to Machado, but MLB Network‘s Jon Heyman reported that the offer was likely a bit lower than that. Neither Machado nor his camp has given any indication that he plans to take the offer and there is no sign if the White Sox may up their bid for him.

Some, including SNY‘s Andy Martino, believed that the seemingly stalled negotiations with the White Sox mean that the Yankees may be able to benefit.

“As Yankees players trickle into spring training, the front office continues to check in with Machado’s camp, according to major league sources,” Martino reported.

“The Yankees are not the frontrunners for Machado — both the White Sox and Phillies have been more aggressive — but they are not out on him, either.”

If the field does open up again, Manny Machado may be ready to follow the money. Reports suggested that he wants to take the highest offer, not necessarily taking a discount to play for a championship-ready team. That would allow a number of teams to become contenders.

Despite the long negotiations, the Chicago White Sox are still seen as frontrunners to sign Manny Machado, both by insiders and the baseball betting market.