MLB Winter Meetings Rumors, Updates: Yankees Haven't Met with Machado, Owner Wants Meeting

The New York Yankees haven't met with free agent infielder Manny Machado, but that could change in the coming days.

General manager Brian Cashman confirmed that the two sides haven't had private discussions, but reiterated that owner Hal Steinbrenner wants to have a sit down with Machado to discuss his infamous "hustle" comments from the postseason.

"Cashman said Yankees haven't met w/ Machado or any free agents yet. But if they advance to having serious discussions w/ Machado, Cashman noted how Hal Steinbrenner has already said he'd want to have a sit down w/ the player and discuss what was said in October," YES Network's Jack Curry tweeted on Wednesday.

Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden told CBS that he believes the Yankees are Machado's first choice, as long as the franchise presents him with a legitimate offer.

"Manny Machado's first choice is the New York Yankees," Bowden said. "So if the Yankees come to the table and they're able to compete and are willing to compete financially for his services, they will be the team that gets Manny Machado."

Last month, Steinbrenner discussed the team's potential offseason during the MLB owners meetings in Atlanta this week and noted that the franchise is willing to spend after coming in under the luxury tax threshold last season for the first time since the penalty took effect in 2003.

Steinbrenner acknowledged the infielder's reputation as a dirty player, as well as his admission that he's "not the type of player that's going to be Johnny Hustle" after joggiing out a ground ball during the National League Championship Series, which has created some concerns.

"Certainly, those comments are troubling," Steinbrenner said. He added that the decision would ultimately be up to general manager Brian Cashman to determine whether the team will pursue the infielder.

In September, SNY's Andy Martino reported that the Yankees kept tabs on on Machado throughout the postseason, noting his disinterest in hustling and the growing perception that he's a "dirty player," which has made the organization skeptical about committing to a long-term deal.

Per Martino:

"But as the team watched this postseason, and weighed it against what they already feared about Machado -- that he didn't always run out ground balls, that opponents thought he was a dirty player -- they became even more wary of committing to him for the better part of a decade."