BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 15: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 15, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Just 24 hours ago, the Yankees weren’t willing to include top 10 prospects to acquire Manny Machado. Suddenly, things have changed for Brian Cashman.
Rumors claiming the New York Yankees have fallen out of the race to acquire Manny Machado might prove to be premature. Brian Cashman and company have decided to up the ante for Baltimore’s All-Star shortstop.
The Yankees are now reportedly willing to part with top 10 prospects, according to the New York Post, if it will help put a deal over the line. No names of specific prospects are being reported currently, but Baltimore was previously interested in Justus Sheffield. He would provide the Orioles with a starting pitcher with multiple years of team control. That’s believed to be a priority for the organization if they are going to send Machado to an AL East rival.
The recent concession gives them a chance to, once again, trump offers from other interested teams like the Phillies and Brewers. While the Orioles front office would prefer to deal with someone other than New York, they aren’t willing to sacrifice quality to do so. Baltimore officials understand their team is in desperate need of a talent infusion. The Yankees farm system might give them the best chance to position themselves as future contenders.
Questions remain about how the Yankees might choose to use Machado. Didi Gregorius is a superior defensive shortstop, but he’s obviously not the hitter that Machado is. Rookie Miguel Andujar is hitting the ball well at third, but his defense is a serious concern. Machado could force Andujar to find his at bats at another position.
It’s also very possible the Orioles are leaking this “new” stance by the Yankees to improve the offers they’ve received from other teams. The longer the specter of New York remains in the picture for the talented infielder, the better deal the Orioles are likely to receive.
The moral of the story here is not to count the Yankees out until Machado is dealt somewhere else. Even then, the team will still be lurking to sign him this winter. Expect rumors of the Yankees acquiring Machado to persist for the foreseeable future.