Mets are not seen as a player for Manny Machado

The New York Mets are not expected to be a player for free agent infielder Manny Machado, according to Jon Heyman. While he did not rule out the team making a splash elsewhere, the sense is that they do not view him as the right person to spend on. Amazin Avenue has been very vocal in expressing its support for the Mets signing Machado.

Machado is arguably the best available free agent and is projected by many experts to receive a ten-year deal with an annual salary of at least $25 million and, most likely, closer to $30 million. The 26-year-old infielder hit .297/.367/.538 in 162 games last season while playing with the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He tied a career-high with 37 home runs and finished 2018 with a 141 wRC+, a .304 ISO, and a 6.2 fWAR. For his career, Machado has put up a .282/.335/.487 slash line with a 120 wRC+, a .301 ISO, and a 30.2 fWAR.

Heyman noted that the team is looking at catcher, bullpen, and infield and will likely look to improve those positions. If that is the case and the team is willing to make a splash in those areas, then it makes sense that they should be invested in signing Machado, who is the best available free agent infielder and would drastically improve the team’s beleaguered offense.

The club has been linked to free agent infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, who spent two-and-a-half years with the Mets and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies last July. The club has also been linked to free agent catchers Wilson Ramos and Martin Maldonado as well as former Cleveland Indians reliever Andrew Miller.