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Even if you’ve just been keeping tabs occasionally during this offseason, it would be impossible to not see something regarding Manny Machado’s free agency pop up. There have been plenty of rumors that he’s leaning towards this team, now he might favor that team, an ex-teammate thinks this, so on and so forth. Waiting for a decision has started to tire even the most patient and news-hungry fans.
Now that they’ve signed Zach Britton, not much else is happening on the Yankees’ front. The James Paxton trade was exciting, but that was months ago at this point. Maybe some distractions will help? Here are a few ways to pass the time.
Watch some of the other New York teams:
The good thing about the baseball offseason is that it means the other local sports are in the midst of their seasons. We all love baseball here, but it can be refreshing to step back and take in some other forms of competition now and then. The Giants were hyped up to be contenders this season and well, they…didn’t do that. The improvements they made were enough to get another two wins, but unfortunately that didn’t move them out of the NFC East cellar.
The Rangers’ rebuilding season got off to a good start in the beginning of the season, but a little run suddenly brought them near the top of the Metropolitan division. And then another run brought them back near the bottom. Then they were in the middle, just to go back near the bottom again. Maybe they’ll figure out who they want to be quickly enough. The Islanders meanwhile are sorta decent, if actually being in the playoff hunt is more your thing.
The Knicks weren’t exactly projected to do a lot this season with star player Kristaps Porzingis out most of the year, but they’ve managed to have their moments. Christmas Day in the Garden was spoiled by the Bucks, but the team managed to upset the new-look Lakers on Friday. Oh, LeBron James didn’t play on Friday? Well, beggars can’t be choosers.
Watch some Tulo highlights now that he’s a Yankee:
Ok, maybe straying from baseball wasn’t a good idea. Instead, let’s hype up one of the little moves the Yankees just made. Troy Tulowitzki was a legit superstar for years, and now that he’s going to be wearing pinstripes we could look back on what made his career so fascinating.
Tulo earned five All-Star selections in six years from 2010-15, cementing himself as one of the best shortstops in the game. His glove was consistently one of the best, and coupled with an all-around bat he shined in Colorado. In his first full season in the big leagues, he made it to the World Series with an improbable run from the Rockies.
Unfortunately, the Rockies couldn’t find much success after that season despite having Tulo headlining a great offense. The team made the decision to move on from their homegrown star in 2015, and traded him to the Blue Jays where he helped fuel another playoff run at the expense of his current employers. His overall production hit a cliff quickly in Toronto though, and led to his eventual release this offseason. Are we getting the Tulo of old? No, definitely not. Can we appreciate a name like his being on our roster at all even if his production has dipped? As long as he isn’t playing as many significant games as he might be, sure.
Sign Manny Machado yourself:
If neither of these ideas have eased your mind, there is one more option. Boot up your preferred baseball video game franchise, sim until the offseason, and negotiate for Machado yourself. Perhaps you can land him for a low-cost bargain like the Yankees are trying to do in reality. Maybe you just want to throw $300 million at him and guarantee that he’s in pinstripes. Maybe you don’t even want him! Whichever camp you’re in, you can try it out for yourself and get some immediate satisfaction.
Whatever you decide to do to pass the time, it looks like we’ll still be waiting for awhile. So do whatever you can to stay sane, and check back in when the day finally comes that we get a decision.