Did Manny Machado Agree To Play For the Yankees? (UPDATE- Dec. 30)
The news broke on Twitter on December 28 at 12:56 p.m. Dan Clark, whose Twitter bio reads, “Multi-award winning sports writer. @IBWAA member. Prior works with ABC, FOX, CSN, etc. Creator of http://TBLDaily.com” broke the news that Machado has agreed to terms with the Yankees with the following Tweet:
Have heard that the #Yankees, #Phillies, and #WhiteSox have all made their final offers to Manny Machado, and it is indeed New York where he’ll be heading. Announcement expected early-January. — Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) December 28, 2018
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Within moments, Twitter was alive with comments about the Yankees, Manny Machado, and…Dan Clark. Some people believed, others doubted. Some Tweets asked who Dan Clark even is. Many people stated that they wouldn’t believe the report until it was verified by one of the “big name” baseball writers. (To date, no major writer or source has verified Clark’s claim.)
The first big question asked, which Dan Clark responded to, was basically, “What is your source?” Clark, who it seems has worked with the Orioles, responded that it was a former teammate/friend of Manny Machado’s who gave him the exclusive scoop:
A former teammate/friend of Machado. https://t.co/Fjoz4VJTce — Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) December 28, 2018
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Comments and posts continued to flood the Internet. The name “Dan Clark” trended for hours on Twitter. His first post received more than 4.5 thousand likes and was Retweeted more than 2.5 thousand times.
Throughout all of this there have been celebrations and criticisms. There were a host of doubters. Twitter can be a harsh place. A lot of anger was thrown at Dan Clark. Many people have written posts along the lines of, “If you are wrong, I’ll be very upset.”
As the furor raged, Dan Clark doubled down the next day with the following comment (paraphrased here):
“I am 100% happy to put my reputation on the line for this. I trust my source. If, however, he has failed me or there is a late change and I am proven wrong, feel free to roast me. That would be warranted.”
Dan Clark, December 29, 2018, 2:12 a.m.
Late yesterday, Clark was emphatic again stating (I am paraphrasing again):
“I’m more confident of the #Yankees signing Machado than I am of a certain sportswriter giving me credit for it when it happens…”
Dan Clark, December 29, 2018, 9:10 p.m.
The big question in all of this is, “Is Dan Clark correct?” Did Dan Clark scoop every big name writer out there? Is the rumor true? Has Machado decided on the Yankees?
Or, has Dan Clark done a great job trolling baseball fans on Twitter and getting people excited over a rumor, some speculation, or an absolute falsehood?
Dan Clark states that the announcement will come in early January. At that time we’ll know.
I don’t know Dan Clark, but I’m rooting for him.
I’m hoping Manny Machado truly is, or will soon be, a Yankee and that the announcement comes very soon. I also hope that Dan Clark is correct when he states that Machado will thrive in New York:
The #Yankees really could be the best thing for Manny Machado, exactly what he needs at this point in his career. Obviously even greater superstardom awaits in such a big market, but also, the organization will ensure his attitude improves. A fresh start. Endless possibilities. — Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) December 28, 2018
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UPDATE – 2:15 p.m. (12/30/18)
Former Yankee Jim Leyritz (who broke the Giancarlo Stanton trade last year) also seems to be saying the Machado deal is all but done:
If I was a betting man. I’d say it’s all but done. Not as sure as I was with Stanton deal last year. Being able to break that news doesn’t happen every year. Lol. But from what I’ve heard. All but the signature is needed.Stay tuned. Would be a good way to ring in the New Year. — Jim Leyritz (@therealjleyritz) December 30, 2018
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(We will update this as updates become available…)
