The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Yankees may be tempted to get Machado over a starter, but plenty of teams have better odds
The relentless Red Sox are forcing Brian Cashman to reassess his options as the trading deadline nears, which is why Manny Machado just might be a more attractive option than a starting pitcher.
At least that’s the feeling I get from talking to various baseball people about the Yankees’ ongoing interest in trading for the Orioles shortstop.
But does that mean the Yankees are frontrunners for Machado? I just don’t see it. Because there are so many other teams with legitimate interest in him, I have to believe the Orioles would only trade him to their rival team that owner Peter Angelos despises if Cashman’s offer was easily the best of all.
That doesn’t seem likely, especially since the Yankees can add Machado as a free agent in the offseason simply by outbidding the field. And by then, don’t forget, their tax rate will have been reduced by staying under the threshold this season.
Still, at least a few scouts and fellow executives said they wouldn’t be surprised if Cashman found a way to add Machado, as the urgency to avoid the wild-card game grows by the day.
Here’s how an executive from a rival team explained it: “I think Cash is looking at the market, and he’s not seeing a starting pitcher that he considers a true difference-maker. So he’s looking at Machado and seeing a guy who can make them better on a daily basis — and I’m talking about at third base, where his defense would be a major upgrade, as well as his offense.
“Machado might want to play short, but he’ll play third the rest of this season
if the Yankees trade for him. As good as (Miguel) Andujar has been, Machado makes them better on both sides of the ball, and if the kid (Andujar) can move over and play first base, they can still keep his bat in play, either in a semi-platoon or more if (Greg) Bird doesn’t come around.
“Usually a team that’s 30 games over .500 at the AllStar break is thinking more about the postseason, and in that case the Yankees might lean more toward getting that starting pitcher, even if he’s not a No. 1-type guy. But because of what the Red Sox are doing, Cash doesn’t have that luxury.”
All of that makes sense, but only if the Yankees are also convinced they have enough starting pitching to overtake the Red Sox and avoid that one-game wildcard playoff — likely against James Paxton and the Mariners.
No doubt Cashman is working on multiple possibilities, as he did last July, but adding Machado would also push the payroll close to the luxury-tax threshold, and I don’t believe he’s willing to give up his best prospects for a rental.
With all of that in mind, here are my odds for where Machado actually winds up getting traded:
DODGERS (4/1)
The Dodgers have rebounded nicely from their early-season woes to put themselves back in the NL West race, but as I wrote at the time Corey Seager was lost for the year back in May, this team needs Machado if it wants to win it all.
And since it has been 30 years, the Dodgers are indeed desperate for that championship, all the more so as the window may be closing with the oft-injured Clayton Kershaw as their ace.
So while the Andrew Friedman-led front office is reluctant to give up prospects, they have a deep farm system that could absorb the hit, even if they have to give up prized catching prospect Keibert Ruiz along with a couple of young pitchers.
BREWERS (6/1)
They’d prefer to add Noah Syndergaard, but if the Brewers can’t entice the Mets into making such a trade, they could see Machado as a player who could put them over the top in the National League.
As it is, they have a need at shortstop, as Orlando Arcia has been a huge disappointment, hitting only .197 as of Wednesday. And the Brewers may see this season, with no obvious favorite in the NL, as a chance to seize the moment in pursuit of a long-awaited championship.
They have plenty of young pitching to make such a deal, and the Orioles would want 23-year-old right-hander Corbin Burnes.
DIAMONDBACKS (10/1)
The threat of the Dodgers getting Machado might be what pushes Arizona to be aggressive and make a deal.
The D-backs have the pitching, ranking first in the NL in ERA, but their offense has been woefully inconsistent, and Machado would give them a huge lift at shortstop, where Nick Ahmed is hitting .226.
They don’t have a deep farm system, and might need to give up top pitching prospect Jon Duplantier to get Machado.
YANKEES (12/1)
I think this could happen only if the other pursuers cling too tightly to their prospects and Cashman can wind up getting Machado for a package of lower-level pitching prospects such as Dillon Tate, Matt Sauers, and last year’s first-round draft pick, Clark Schmidt.
INDIANS (12/1)
By putting Machado at third alongside Francisco Lindor and moving Jose Ramirez back to second, the Indians could create a monster infield. And they have the young pitching prospects to get it done with Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie, but they probably see that as too steep a price to pay for a rental.
PHILLIES (15/1)
The Phils are prepared to spend big on Machado as a free agent, and may be the favorites to land him this winter, which is why I don’t think they’ll give up a lot to get him in a trade. They know they’re ahead of schedule on their rebuild, and are looking at 2019 as their first real chance to win a championship.