Bryce Harper or Manny Machado?

I’ve said since last summer that I’d rather not have either one. Since then, Manny has said he’d go back to third base for the right situation and Harper has said he’d play first base for the right situation.

So I thought about both of them again. I know that Andujar has a long way to go to become a good fielder at third. I also know that a Bird and or Voit situation at first comes with some risk.

Upon further review, for me it comes down to money. I feel the Yankees can afford either or both, but I’m very concerned tgatvin five or six years we’d be back in the situation we’re just emerging from. The situation where we need some payroll relief to gain payroll flexibility.

I wish you would have also added a “none” or “neither option in your poll. I’d like to see the roster gain some more economical options through the trade route since I don’t see anyone on the free agent market that I feel is that great of an option, at least not among the “upper echelon” choices.

Let's spend some of the young talent we’ve been hoarding to upgrade the pitching staff. Trade for some young, cost controlled starting pitching. They’re out there.

I like Voit. I’m also not overly confident that he’s going to continue to produce at a high level. Why not trade high on him? Torres may calm his error-prone ways, and he looks to be a really decent hitter...but those recurring hip problems concern me. I wouldn’t feel badly if we sold high on him right now, either. It’s much more important that we have a solid defender at second than it is at third. Somehow, Torres has gotten a pass for his defensive lapses and his base-running errors and Andujar gets fried for his defense. Dunno why. It just is.

LF is a mess right now. I can’t feel comfortable with any of the three (yes, three counting Ellsbury) we have now for 2019. In fact maybe we have 4 options if you at Stanton to the LF candidates. Frankly, I think it may be wise to dispose of Stanton too while he’s healthy. If he’s gone, that might change my mind on Harper...

Maybe I answered more questions than you asked, but to me all of this ties together...and if everything isn’t tied together you don’t have a teamTo simply add players isn’t going to give us what we need. The team was 2nd in runs scored in MLB. We need to preventvruns much more than we need to score them. To stop throwing the ball away on defense and to get clutch outs. On offense, I’d just like to see a few more hits in place of some of the walks and strikeouts...Look at Andujar’s hitting, then try to convince yourself a walk is as good as a hit, or that contact doesn’t matter...

On the island of Oahu. Aiea to be more specific but grew up in Aina Haina in Honolulu. 

Manny's only fit would be at third, so then what happens with Andujar? Some say first base, but then you have a player learning a new position, and that doesn't make me feel like that's going to produce championship baseball...

I'm already making my winter shopping list, primarily thinking of who to trade for rather than going ballistic for a bunch of free agents to break the banks and then break our hearts. Some of the thoughts are extreme, but I feel we won 100 this season without the feeling of playing team baseball, and with some elements missing from both the high scoring offense (contact, speed and versatility) and a rather decent pitching staff (length from the starters and middle relief with all needing to keep the ball in the park)...

I could list some ideas here, but that may be a thread hi-jack. Hawaii deserves to get some votes and thoughts on the subject he posted for...

Pipps expressed my sentiments on this question quite well. And, I agree with Inger that "neither" may be a popular choice.

Okay, I pulled the trigger and cast my ballot for Harper.  Although pitching is still my free agent priority, there are no blockbuster names who will likely be available.  And if we get neither of these guys -- or both of them -- I can live with it.  Manny seems pretty happy in LA, although he hasn't given them the kind of titanic results they were probably hoping for.  Having lived five very happy years there, I totally understand the allure.  Manny and Seager would be one heck of a left side of the infield.

Hawaiiyankee, mahalo for letting me know where you are in Hawaii.  I have been to almost 100 countries in every part of the world, and Hawaii is still one of my favorite spots on the planet.  Kauai is probably at the top of the list -- nothing unusual about that -- but I have long thought that Honolulu is one of the most under-rated cities in the US.  I know, the tacky tourist spots, but it has some wonderful architecture and beautiful areas.  And the north shore -- holy cow -- if you ever fantasized about surfing, what a place to go.  Waves like I have never seen.  Molokai is wonderfully serene.  Or at least it was the last time I was there, which by now is 25 years ago.  Hope it hasn't been too developed.

The USS Arizona site is one of the most moving places any American could ever visit.  Glad to have a real live Hawaiian on the forum.

Yeah, I'm a fanatic.  Fortunately, so is my wife.  Right around this time next year, our vacation will be to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Togo.  No Disney World for this boy!!

I went to Oahu in 2014 (my wife and I are going back in a few weeks to Maui and Kauai). Visiting Pearl Harbor was one of the most hallowing (not sure if thats the word I am looking for) experiences of my life. WW2 has always fascinated me to begin with but to stand on that ground was just something else. I had a similar moment at ground zero a few years back when I used to work in the Financial District (even though that was every day, there was one night in the dark the way everything was lit in the footprints that just hit me hard).