Manny Meets the Bronx

 
Manny Machado is getting booed this week as the Padres visit the Yankees -- which makes absolutely no sense. He's isn't a Yankee because he didn't want New York. As the media made it abundantly clear through the winter of baseball's discontent, the Yankees simply chose not to bid on him.

Batting third and playing shortstop for the Padres -- in part because San Diego's prized rookie Fernando Tatis is out injured -- Machado singled in the first run in Tuesday night's 5-4 win over the Yankees. Moments later, he came around to score on Eric Hosmer's game-breaking three-run homer.

While fans -- especially those who pay top dollar to see games in the Bronx -- have every right to boo, Manny shouldn't be their target. This isn't Baltimore, where the home grown Machado wasn't able to work out a contract extension, or Los Angeles, where he led the Dodgers to a pennant, but wasn't expected to re-sign before hitting the market.

Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner placed their chips behind Miguel Andujar as the Yankees' 3rd baseman. While no one could have predicted his season-ended shoulder injury, give the front office credit for lining up DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela as insurance.

No matter who suits up as the Yankees 3rd baseman, they won't bring the offensive threat of Machado. But is that difference really valued between 18 to 29 million dollars? That's our unanswered question.

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