MLB Roundup 1/17: Manny Machado’s agent speaks out

Manny Machado’s agent has some words for reporters

Yesterday was a tumultuous day in the Manny Machado free agency, and it didn’t get us any closer to knowing where the star infielder is going to end up. In other words, it was a pretty typical offseason day based on the last two years. Wednesday started with rumors coming out that the top offer to Machado came from the White Sox and it was a seven-year deal worth $175 million. That sure seemed incredibly low and like a deal that anyone — particularly the Yankees and/or Phillies — should be able to beat without a second thought. In other words, it seemed a bit far-fetched but it was all we had to go off. That brings us to the worst part of this kind of slow offseason, as all we have to go off are rumors with little chance of verification. It drives us all mad! Then, the stakes were raised when Dan Lozano, Machado’s agent, released a statement.

He has a point in here about teams negotiating through the media. It’s explicitly against the rules and seems to be more and more commonplace as the years go on. Hell, even the MLB official account shared a Machado free agent rumors recently in a since-deleted tweet. That’s shaky at best. So, I can see where the frustration is coming from with Lozano. Of course, all of that being said, the agents are obviously doing this too. Not every report is from a leak from the team’s side, and the agents will do whatever they can to get the best deal for their clients. That includes playing some games through the media. Hell, even this move from Lozano is at least partially playing to the media to help his client. That’s not to say I don’t agree with his overall theme or his idea to release this. These rumors with no action are driving me nuts. Remember when the offseason used to be about watching moves unfold and figuring out what it means for the competition on the field rather than what it says about the state of the game? I miss those days.