No, the Yankees are not getting Manny Machado in a trade

Rumors started to float around Tuesday regarding the Yankees potentially trading for Manny Machado, but you shouldn’t get too worked up about it.

Throughout the course of this past weekend, the New York Yankees went from being slightly lovable with their young group of fun players, led by slugger Aaron Judge, that nearly made a miracle run to the World Series to once again being the most hated franchise in baseball. Of course, this is all due to the fact they were able to take Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins in a trade that made sense to few and had everyone screaming collusion on the part of the Yankees and new Marlins owner Derek Jeter.

Well, as if they weren’t hated enough following that transaction, a report floating around Tuesday had the Yankees haters even more up in arms. Buster Olney of ESPN reported Tuesday night that, with Baltimore Orioles star third baseman Manny Machado on the trading block at the MLB Winter Meetings, the Yankees had emerged as one of the teams interested in his services. Could you imagine? One day after the Yankees officially announce the acquisition of the best power hitter in the game in Stanton, they may steal away the 25-year-old stud infielder from the Orioles as well. It’s complete madness.

Here’s the thing, though: it’s probably not going to happen.

The Orioles aren’t dealing with the Yankees in this manner

There’s very little chance the Orioles are going to willingly give away their star player to the Yankees, one of their division rivals in the AL East. Baltimore generally hates doing business with New York, to begin with, so the chances they would entertain most offers for Machado from them are pretty slim. Unless the Yankees are willing to throw in someone like top prospect Gleyber Torres into the equation — which is very unlikely — then Orioles owner Peter Angelos will make sure these talks are minimal.

There’s always next year

The key point from Joel Sherman of the New York Post above in his tweet deals with free agency. With Machado’s free agency looming next year, it has been expected for quite a while now that he will eventually end up in the Bronx. But, that’s the thing here: it’ll be in free agency, not via a trade where they run the risk of losing him anyway by giving up top assets.

It goes without saying, the Yankees would be better served to just dive into the piggy bank next year during the Winter Meetings when Machado is on his own if they really want to bring him into the Evil Empire fold so badly.

It’s not happening, folks

Bottom line here is that the Yankees are just doing what they’re supposed to do. One of the bright young stars in Major League Baseball is available, so they’re going to at least peek their head in to see what the deal is.

And the deal is that there will be no deal this winter between the two sides. However, next year during free agency is a whole different ballgame.