If I were Brian Cashman, here’s how Wednesday’s meeting with Manny Machado would go down:
BC: Have a seat, Manny. Would you like some tap water?
MM: Actually, do you have any sparkling water? Or Diet Coke?
BC: Nope. Tap water. Or nothing. How about nothing?
MM: (Awkward silence)
BC: We have one last rice cake that has been lying around our kitchen, from a bag with a “November 2016” expiration date on it. Going once, going twice …
Perhaps this would be a mite harsh. Yet this meet and greet with the stud free agent carries a vibe unlike anything we’ve seen on this scale in the history of these offseason courting sessions.