MLB rumors: What Yankees’ Brian Cashman says about Manny Machado pursuit

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talked about star free agent shortstop Manny Machado and his preference to not hustle before the 2018 MLB General Managers Meetings started Monday in California.

CARLSBAD, Calif. — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will undoubtedly spent considerable time this offseason talking with star free agent Manny Machado about possibly donning pinstripes.

Maybe Cashman will have more to say about the 26-year-old who could command a contract of more than $300 million despite his stated preference for loafing.

Not Monday afternoon. Cashman was mostly mum on his interest in Machado.

“I’m going to be engaging the entire landscape in the free agent market,” Cashman said, surrounded by reporters in front of the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, a day before the 2018 General Managers Meetings were due to start.

“I’m not going to say who and when but we will make sure we check every box in terms of what’s available and the cost associated with what’s available in both marketplaces, free agency and trades.”

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The Yankees and Machado look like a fit on several levels.

Yet in some ways they look like a terrible match.

As for Machado’s highly criticized comments on not liking to run hard — he said being “Johnny Hustle” isn’t his “cup of tea” in an interview during the palyoffs — Cashman didn’t bite.

“Can’t answer that only because it’s applying to a specific player. So I’m not going to do the roundabout. I might as well just answer it about the player then,” he said.

“But ever year you’re charged with trying to determine, with the available markets, who would be a good fit for your club, who you want to move forward with, and obviously who you don’t. We’ll make those determinations or will have made those determinations and will act accordingly and then make our recommendations to ownership and then ownership will always tell us what they want in the the end when they have all the information in front of them, also.”

With shortstop Didi Gregorius potentially lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery he had in October, Macahdo could be considered even more of a fit. Cashman has said he hopes Gregorius could return as early as June, though. The wide range of past recovery times

Not to mention, he’s one of the game’s best young hitters, posting a .297 batting average with 37 home runs and 107 RBI over 162 games between the Orioles and the Dodgers last regular season. That kind of production plays anywhere.

Cashman didn’t rule out the Yankees filling in their shortstop hole externally, though the team could put Gelyber Torres, coming off a strong rookie season at second base, in the position.

“I think it all connects,” Cashman said. “It all depends on price point. Because of Didi’s injury, we’re forced, without question, to evaluate the available players in the middle infield market and then you pivot back to us and laser focus on what we’ve got going on.”

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.