The MLB hot stove is virtually non-existent with spring training well underway, but there are still plenty of rumors circulating about extensions and upcoming free agents. Here are all the latest MLB rumors you need to know:
Machado to the Phillies?
Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado is still under contract for two years, but the Philadelphia Phillies are already planning to make a run at him in free agency after the 2018 season, according to Joe Giglio of NJ.com:
When the highly-touted free-agent class of 2018-19 (following the 2018 season) emerges, expect the Phillies to be involved on big names. That includes current Baltimore Orioles star Manny Machado. As CSN Philly recently brought up, Machado's eventual free agency makes 2017 something of a make-or-break year for current third baseman Maikel Franco.
The relationship between Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentak goes back to their days running the Orioles. In 2009, armed with the third pick in the draft, the duo selected Machado. The pick set Baltimore up to become one of baseball's best teams over the last five years.
Make no mistake: Machado is going to get headline-worthy money. A deal in excess of $350M (if not over $400M) is possible, if not likely. The crazy part? Machado will be worth it.
Over the last two years, Machado's 13.7 WAR ranks fourth among all big league position players. According to Fangraphs, he's been worth $106.1M over the last two years, and $169.3M from his age 20-23 seasons. Machado will hit free agency after his age-25 season--meaning his prime and pre-decline years are still to come.
We're talking about a special player off to a ridiculous career start. Yet, the Orioles reportedly haven't made a legitimate attempt to keep him long term.
Machado hit .294 with 37 home runs and 96 RBIs in 157 games last season.
Rangers, Odor working on extension
The Texas Rangers have again started negotiations with Rougned Odor about a contract extension, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports:
The Texas Rangers and star second baseman Rougned Odor have begun exchanging figures again, and there seems to be at least a bit of hope something can get done this time.
The Rangers are believed to have offered something in the range of the $52.5-million, six-year deal Jason Kipnis did as a pre-arb player with the Indians, and the discussion seems to be centered around a comparison of those two players. Odor is quite a bit younger at 23 and has slightly more service time, but Kipnis had made an All-Star team and gotten MVP votes by the time he signed his deal with Cleveland, which included a seventh-year player option and bought out at least two free-agent years.
The relevance of the contract is there in part because Kipnis and Odor have the same agents – the Beverly Hills Sports Council. Odor’s case is built on his relative youth and some supreme power numbers; he hit 33 home runs last year to go with a slash line of .271/.296/.502/.798. Odor is also beloved by the Rangers organization, which went to bat for him when he was penalized for punching out Jose Bautista, so while they seem still apart at the moment, they are likely to keep working at it.
The two sides originally had negotiations in the fall, but talks stalled due to disagreements over the size of the guarantee and the number of club options years on the deal.
Romney family trying to buy stake in the Yankees
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's family are in talks to buy an ownership stake in the New York Yankees, but Romney himself says he is not involved, reports Heyman:
The Romney family is bidding to buy a small stake in the Yankees months after their try for the Marlins stalled.
They’re expected to pay $25 million to $30 million per point and thought to be interested in one or two points. The Yankees are valued around $3 billion or more.
The Romneys are said to have offered $1.4 billion many months back to buy the Miami Marlins. But that appears to be off the table now, as the Romneys are talking about buying a very small piece of the Yankees instead.
Romney (a noted Red Sox fan) and his family were interested in buying the Miami Marlins last month, and previously expressed interest in buying the Los Angeles Dodgers before that sale went to the Guggenheim partners.
Forbes reports that the Yankees are the highest valued MLB franchise at $3.4 billion, ranking second among all North American sports franchises behind the Dallas Cowboys.
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