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| (CharmCityWire.Com) |
Writing in Forbes,
Howard Cole (my 'El Jefe' from the
Internet Baseball Writers Association of America) makes a compelling case as to
why his hometown LA Dodgers will not sign Bryce Harper as a free agent in November of 2018. Many of the reasons he lays out apply to the Red Sox as well. But in the course of his argument, he lobbies for another big-ticket free-agent signing instead—
Manny Machado. As Cole points out, All-Star 3B are very hard to come by—and Machado would also solve Boston's very real 'hot corner' problem. He will be a free agent in November of 2018—so we can give
The Panda enough rope to hang himself until then (or he
might be good). Either way, we can move Sandoval and one remaining full-year (2019) of his bloated contract (the Sox hold a $5 million buyout for 2020). Machado will be just 26 years old when he hits free-agency—he could be another youthful cornerstone on an already athletic young team. So far, in five seasons, he's averaged 28 HRs and hit .284—not to mention
Gold Glove defense. Something to think about.
