How the Yankees and Orioles can make a fair trade for Manny Machado
If the Orioles are looking for the best return for Manny Machado, dealing with the Yankees is a smart move. Here’s how a fair deal could be constructed.
At this point, it’s very apparent the Yankees and Orioles are actively discussing a potential trade for Manny Machado. New York may not need the Baltimore slugger, but they clearly want him. The natural question now is whether or not the two sides can come together and agree to a mutually beneficial deal.
Some members of the Orioles front office don’t want to send Machado to another AL East team, but that’s a short-sighted philosophy. Baltimore needs to get the best return possible for their All-Star shortstop. They can’t let divisional rivalries stand in the way of restocking their roster.
The Yankees are blessed with a combination of young, major league talent and one of the best farm systems in baseball. They arguably give the Orioles the best combination of those things among the teams interested in Machado. That, in and of itself, is a good reason for Dan Duquette to keep an open line of communication with Brian Cashman.
The first thing the Orioles will want in a deal for Machado is a young, major league player with All-Star potential. The Yankees are not going to include Gleyber Torres in any deal, but Cashman should make Miguel Andujar available. He’s already an above-average starter for New York and the fact that he’s under team control for several more seasons makes him even more attractive to the Orioles. Initial reports claim the Yankees will not include Andujar in a package for Machado, but expect Cashman to relent as the deadline grows closer.
The choice for the Orioles is whether or not they want to demand Andujar or ask for more quality prospects in the deal. Baltimore can’t afford to come away empty here. They must ask for Andujar to be included in any deal to make sure they don’t get fleeced by the Yankees.
Some might argue that Andujar for Machado should be an even swap. After all, Machado could just be a rental for any team that acquires him. He’ll hit free agency this summer and will surely demand a massive long-term contract from the team that secures him for years to come. The Yankees would need assurances from Machado and his representatives that he’s going to stay in New York for the foreseeable future. Assuming Cashman and company get that, the Orioles are entitled to ask for more in return for their superstar.
Baltimore can’t overreach though. Securing Andujar already gives them a young player with All-Star potential and a very high floor. The Yankees aren’t going to give up much more in the deal. The Orioles would only be in position to acquire one high-level prospect.
The obvious choice would be to move for Justus Sheffield. The talented lefty is one of the Yankees favorite prospects and he’s already effective at the AAA level. He may not have ace potential, but he’s almost certainly going to be a No. 3 starter in the near future. The Orioles could gamble on the younger, more dynamic arm of Jose Abreu, but the right move would be to go for Sheffield instead.
Interestingly, the deal could expand if the Yankees also want to add Zach Britton to their bullpen. Given his recent injury history he won’t net the O’s a huge haul, but he could bring someone like Brandon Drury or Chance Adams back in return. No one should be shocked if a larger deal emerges from the talks between the two teams.
Next: Yankees are willing to make room for Machado
If the talks stick to Machado, dealing him for Andujar and Sheffield provides fair value to both sides. Both teams would like to do better, but that’s an exchange that would help both teams. If each front office is doing their job, a Machado trade should result in something pretty similar.