New York Yankees: Yankees shouldn’t go after Manny Machado

The New York Yankees have tried to get Manny  Machado in the past. But now that Machado is about to be a free agent, should the Yankees go after him again?

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado will be a free agent at the end of the season so, should the New York Yankees try to get Machado?

During Game 4 of the NLCS on Tuesday, Machado had an incident with Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar.

In the 10th inning, Aguilar left his foot on first base after Machado was out on a ground out and the Dodger shortstop kicked Aguilar’s leg as he crossed first base.

The incident caused the benches to clear and Manny was fined.

While the amount that Machado was fined was undisclosed, a person close to the shortstop told Steve Gardner and Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he had been fined $10,000.

Brewers slugger Christian Yelich called Machado a ‘dirty player.’

Here is more of what he said:

"“He’s a player that has a history of those types of incidents. One time is an accident. Repeated over and over and over again, you’re just a dirty player. It’s a dirty play by a dirty player, and that’s what it is. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but you can’t respect someone who plays the game like that.”"

Machado responded to Yelich’s comments by telling Todd Zolecki of MLB.com:

"“If that’s dirty, that’s dirty. I don’t know, call it what you want. I play baseball. I try to go out there and win for my team. If that’s their comments, that’s their comments. I can’t do nothing about that.”"

Here’s what Machado said about the incident with Aguilar, per Kevin Kernan of the New York Post:

"“Obviously I’m not going to change, I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle,’ and run down the line and slide to first base. That’s just not my personality, that’s not my cup of tea, that’s not who I am.Should I have run on that pitch? Yeah … but I didn’t and I got to pay the consequences for it.It does look bad. It looks terrible. I look back at the video and I’m like, ‘Whoa, what was I doing?’ I’m the type of player that has stayed in the zone, I’m playing and I’m just in the zone.’’"

Basically Manny isn’t talking the blame for the incident and says he never hustles.

He doesn’t want to be responsible or take responsibility for his actions, he just wants money.

The Yankees have been linked to wanting Machado, but should they get him?

The answer is no.

Machado has a bad attitude and just plays baseball to collect a check, not because he loves the game.

Back in August, people close to Machado suggested that the Yankees would be his first choice.

The Yankees are now expected to pursue Machado since Didi Gregorius has to have Tommy John surgery, according to MLB.com.

The Yankees don’t need Machado to replace Gregorius while he is out.

Gleyber Torres, Neil Walker, and/or Adeiny Hechavarria could play short for the Yanks until Didi returns.

This season Manny is hitting .297 with 37 home runs and 107 RBIs.

He is a two-time Gold Glove award winner and one of the best players in the game.

However, he doesn’t want to be responsible, to hustle, or be a leader according to a Dodger official who talked to Kevin Kernan.

Wallace Matthews of the New York Daily News thinks that the Yankees need a villain and that villain should be Machado.

Matthews believes that Machado being on the Yanks could give the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry some new energy.

I think the energy level of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is just fine but if there were to be a villain in that rivalry it shouldn’t be Machado.

Yankees, don’t go after Machado because he’s got a bad attitude and he’s not worth the money or the headache.