I am a great admirer of Brian Cashman's work as a general manager and think he is, if anything, underrated by the baseball community. So I am hoping that the rumors suggesting he is working to trade for Manny Machado of the Orioles are false.
Manny Machado is a great baseball player in virtually every aspect of the game. He's only 25 years old. He plays a remarkable third base and a good shortstop and all he does is hit, for power and average. So why shouldn't a team now 3.5 games behind the Red Sox (grrrr...) in the standings get a player like that?
Because Machado will be a free agent at the end of this season. The team that trades for him will have him for two months and then be just one more name among teams that will be bidding for Machado in the offseason, and bidding for astronomical prices.
In short, Machado--who will definitely NOT sign an extension before his free agency begins--is the very definition of a rental.
Yeah, but this team is built to win NOW! And having a superstar like that will help us do that this year, right?
Maybe. Maybe not. The Yankees are not hurting for offense at shortstop. They have a guy named Didi Gregorius there. And they're doing okay at third base, where Miguel Andujar has established himself and turned into a Rookie of the Year candidate. Besides, Machado has made it clear he doesn't want to play third base. He wants to be a shortstop. And here's the thing: After the two months are over and Machado goes out seeking obscene amounts of wealth, a trade that includes either of those players will deprive the Yankees of a starting shortstop or third baseman.
Oh, but we'll just sign Machado in the offseason. Problem solved! Right?
Again, perhaps. A lot of teams--including those Red Sox--might very well be in the bidding for Machado, and you can count on him taking the one who offers a dollar more than the others. Because that's what we'd do, too. Will the Yankees be that team? No way of knowing. It's a gamble.
Besides, who would you trade for Machado, keeping in mind that Baltimore is not just giving the guy away for a bag of bats. Rumor has it the Orioles will only agree to a deal that includes (one assumes among many others) Justus Sheffield. Maybe Clint Frazier, Andjuar or other top flight players would be included. Whose whole career do you want to see happen in Baltimore so we can have the admittedly large presence of Manny Machado... for two months?
It's the wrong deal. The Yankees need starting pitching. Their offense, for those who haven't been paying attention, is downright frightening. They'll get back Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez within a couple of weeks. It would be lovely to have Manny Machado in a lineup with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Torres and Sanchez, but is it necessary? Hardly. And it doesn't solve the starting pitching problem.
No, Mr. Cashman. Please. Justify my faith in you. Don't trade for Manny Machado.
