Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |
Troy Tulowitzki signed with the Yankees to be the starting shortstop until Didi Gregorius returns, meaning that Manny Machado almost certainly will not be able to play his favorite position in New York.
According to people with direct knowledge of negotiations, Tulowitzki was only talking with teams that were willing to offer him a starting job. That list included the Cubs and Pirates, as SNY reported earlier on Friday.
If the Yankees do sign Machado, it would only be to play third base, where he is an elite defender. But Machado has repeatedly expressed a preference to play short. He will have to compromise if he wants to be a Yankee.
Asked about the Machado/Tulowitzki dynamic during a conference call on Friday to announce the Tulowitzki signing, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said, "I can't say what it would take us out of, but we're going into this with a commitment level to try Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop."
If the Yanks do sign Machado, they will have to either find a new position for Miguel Andujar, or trade him. That remains a possibility.