Around the Empire: Yankees news - 1/4/19

MLB.com | Mark Feinsand: After a second stint in New York, David Robertson has again signed elsewhere. The veteran reliever inked a two-year contract with the Phillies that guarantees him $23 million. Robertson represented himself in negotiations with Philadelphia. Mark this down as another valuable free agent the Yankees will miss out on.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: With Robertson off the board, attention will shift towards lefty reliever Zach Britton. Reports stipulate that Britton might be the next relief pitcher off the board, with some indications that he is seeking four years. It remains to be seen if he can actually procure such an offer, with Robertson and Andrew Miller each securing two-year pacts. Jon Heyman of Fancred tweeted yesterday that the Yankees are now “focused” on Britton.

Cut 4 | Chris Landers: With Troy Tulowitzki now a Yankee, why not take a look at some of the former superstars that found late-career success in the Bronx? Landers highlights a few players that donned pinstripes and revived their careers, even if only for a short time. Remember Andruw Jones smashing bombs in 2011? Or Eric Chavez recapturing his glory days in 2012? Let’s hope Tulo can have similar success.

ESPN | Jeff Passan: In a wide-ranging column, Passan highlights the state of the market for both premier free agents, Machado and Bryce Harper. Harper has apparently made contact with the Nationals multiple times, as it appears his former team is a legitimate suitor. There have been conflicting reports regarding Machado. Passan reported that both Philadelphia and the White Sox are willing to go to 10 years to sign Machado. However, Bruce Levine reported on Twitter that the White Sox are only willing to offer seven years. Meanwhile, Bob Nightengale reports that the White Sox have already extended an official offer to Machado. We’ll ultimately have to continue to wait to see exactly how teams are playing their hands when it comes to the star infielder.