Agent denies $175 million Machado offer
Machado had been reported to be seeking a contract in 10-year, $300 million-plus range.
Hours after ESPN’s Buster Olney reported the Chicago White Sox offered Manny Machado a seven-year, $175 million deal, Machado’s agent referred to the report as “inaccurate and reckless”.
Dan Lozano sharply criticized Olney and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale for their reporting on Machado’s free agency situation. Nightengale tweeted Wednesday that the White Sox made the offer two weeks ago and see no reason to bid against themselves.
“I don’t know if their sources are blatantly violating the Collective Bargaining Agreement by intentionally misleading them to try and affect negotiations through the public or are just flat out lying to them for other reasons,” Lozano said.
Machado, who played his first six seasons with the Baltimore Orioles before a mid-July trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers, had been reported to be seeking a contract in the 10-year, $300 million-plus range.
—Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman announced 2019 will be his 46th and final season as the voice of the Cincinnati Reds.
Brennaman, 76, has been calling Reds games since 1974 and is known for such taglines as “and this one belongs to the Reds” and “rounding third and heading for home.”
Highlights of his long career in the booth include calling three World Series clinchers by Cincinnati (1975, 1976 and 1990) as well as Hank Aaron’s 714th home run, Tom Seaver’s 1978 no-hitter and Tom Browning’s 1988 perfect game.
—Free agent infielder Wilmer Flores has agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to an ESPN report.
The 27-year-old Flores agreed to a $4.25 million deal with a $6 million team option for 2020, according to ESPN. He must pass a physical for the deal to become official.
Flores batted. 267 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs in 126 games with the New York Mets last season, when he made $3.4 million.
—Kansas City Royals left-hander Eric Skoglund has been suspended 80 games without pay after testing positive for two performance-enhancing substances, commissioner Rob Manfred’s office announced.
Skoglund, 26, was 1-6 in 14 games (13 starts) for the Royals last season, posting a 5.14 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 70 innings.
The league said he tested positive for both Ostarine and Ligandrol in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. His suspension will be effective at the start of the 2019 regular season, per the commissioner’s statement.
