Fansided

Phillies shouldn’t rush into trade for Manny Machado

By Joshua Sadlock

BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 16: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles heads to the dugout during the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 16, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 16: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles heads to the dugout during the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 16, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Even with shortstop J.P. Crawford on the shelf with a broken hand, the Philadelphia Phillies should not rush into a trade for Manny Machado.

For the second time this season, the Philadelphia Phillies will be without young shortstop J.P. Crawford for an extended period of time. After recently returning from a forearm strain that cost him the month of May, the 23-year-old infielder broke his hand after being hit by a pitch and could miss up to six weeks. Losing Crawford is a tough blow for one of the year’s most surprising contenders, and the injury has plenty of trade implications as the deadline looms at the end of July.

Baltimore Orioles All-Star shortstop Manny Machado has already been bandied about as a logical target for the Phillies, and that chatter will only intensify with Crawford out for over a month. As attractive as the thought of plugging Machado into a slumping lineup must be for Matt Klentak and his front office, now is not the time to panic.

The Phillies cannot rush into a trade with the Orioles, who have very little leverage in this market where rental players have seen their value fall off a cliff.

Machado will obviously be on the Phillies radar when he hits free agency this winter, and if the team wants him, they should be considered the odds-on favorite to land his services for the next ten years. The Phillies have cash to spend, and Machado is looking like the best available player on the market as Bryce Harper continues to slump. Trading for him now and allowing him to fall in love with the young clubhouse does make sense, but it has to be at the right price.

After rebuilding for several years, the Phillies cup runneth over with young talent. Things are coming together well, but it will still be a bumpy ride as prospects endure growing pains. After topping out at 25-16 on May 17, the team is just 13-17 with a struggling lineup and combustible bullpen.

If the Phillies were one player away from winning the World Series, then it may make sense to immediately pull the trigger on a trade for Machado on the heels of Crawford’s injury. Right now, waiting out the next month before the deadline is the right move. If the Phillies continue to lose ground to the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, sitting out the feeding frenzy in July makes more sense.

There are still several very attractive trade chips in the Phillies system that the Orioles would love to bring back when they trade their shortstop. However, with the best chance to contend still two or three years away, giving them up now must absolutely pay off with meaningful dividends. The loss of Scott Kingery or Sixto Sanchez becomes palatable if Machado leads the Phillies to the playoffs this year and decides to stick around. Klentak and his crew have navigated the draft, free agency and the trade market perfectly, and there is no reason to think they will make a knee-jerk reaction now to fill a hole at shortstop.

Next: 5 solid fits for Manny Machado

It isn’t a terrible bet that Manny Machado will play in the City of Brotherly Love before the end of his career, but in due time. In due time.

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