Mets: Manny Machado wants the Yankees more than he wants New York

New York Mets fans would welcome Manny Machado with open arms. The problem is that the star infielder may have his eyes on the other New York baseball team.

The rich more get richer this offseason. Rumors of Manny Machado having interest in joining the New York Yankees will hit the spotlight in the offseason. New York Mets fans hoping to see him join the rest of the boys in Flushing will be disappointed to realize it’s not the Big Apple he wants. Machado is all about the pinstripes.

The Yankees offense may not be as great in real life as it is on paper. Even without an obvious opening for a guy like Machado, they could pursue him this winter. Teams like the Mets are then left with the second, third, and fourth choices to boost the offense.

The further deeper the Mets slide into obscurity the less of a chance they have at signing Machado. Already at a disadvantage in many ways, this bad season may have put the nail in the coffin, dusted it with some garlic, and shined some sunlight on the possibility of Machado ever suiting up for the Metropolitans; at least for now.

Machado hasn’t won anything significant yet with the Baltimore Orioles. He has an opportunity this year with the Los Angeles Dodgers to do this.

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However, regardless of the outcome, it’s difficult to imagine Machado choosing a way below .500 ball club with a messy front office. This is the way many outsiders could perceive the Mets. There are just too many issues with this team. Without the allure of Yankees’ history to negate some of the present, the Mets are a longshot to ink Machado.

When free agents choose a city they look at a lot of factors. Mike Hampton chose to the Colorado Rockies because of the school system, snubbing the Mets in the process. Others will pick a big city to market themselves better while some prefer the quieter settings around the country.

Machado seems ready to stick in one of the major baseball markets. He’s only now entering his prime years. There’s no team more recognizable than the Yankees and that’s what attracts Machado to this city. The man has a real chance to become an ambassador for baseball.

As a member of the Mets with Manhattan in the background, it’s a whole lot easier to do everything he wants with his career. Machado can become a megastar in the sport. He would, however, need to settle with the city’s second most popular baseball team.

To say he’d “settle” with the Mets is definitely a dagger to the heart of everyone in Queens who wears the orange and blue. In his view, it’s true. He has never experienced what the dedicated fans to this baseball team can do. As an American League player for most of his career, who even made frequent trips to Yankee Stadium throughout, he’s far more familiar with the peanut gallery in the Bronx.

If his heart is set on New York, Machado wouldn’t think twice about signing with the Mets as long as the contract is right. Unfortunately, it seems more about the organization than the city.

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For fans hoping to see Machado at Citi Field in 2019, they may get their chance. Sadly, the first view will be him in road greys.