It’s hard to picture Manny Machado actually joining the Red Sox
By Cody Rivera
The Boston Red Sox have recently shown interest in acquiring Manny Machado, but it’s not likely to actually happen.
With the MLB trade deadline only a couple of weeks away, there have been plenty of rumors about Baltimore Orioles slugger Manny Machado being on the trade block. The New York Yankees have shown interest in acquiring Machado, and now, the Boston Red Sox reportedly have been inquiring about him as well.
It would definitely be an exciting splash in Boston to acquire a big name like Machado, but realistically, it just doesn’t seem like something that will actually materialize. One reason for that would be the fact that Machado has expressed utter disdain for the Red Sox organization as recently as last season, and with free agency just around the corner for Machado, he might not hesitate to walk away after the season concludes.
In addition to that, Machado has recently pointed out that, if traded to another team, he does not want to move back to third base from shortstop. To accommodate that request, the Red Sox would have to find another way to use Xander Bogaerts, who is currently third on the team in RBIs this year. It would be reasonable to try Bogaerts at second base, especially since Dustin Pedroia won’t be returning to the lineup any time soon, but then that would make Eduardo Nunez the odd man out. And plus, it would just be weird and unnatural for Bogaerts to be on the right side of the infield.
Bogaerts could also move to third base, but then 21-year-old Rafael Devers would be getting a lot less playing time, and his upside is way too high for him to not be playing on a regular basis. And besides, with their current lineup, the Red Sox have achieved the best record in baseball to this point at 64-29. As the old saying goes … don’t fix something that isn’t broken.
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Honestly, the biggest reason why the Red Sox should go after Machado would be to keep him away from the Yankees. But even in New York, he would be somewhat of an odd fit. He would likely have to go back to third base unless the Yankees were OK with uprooting Didi Gregorius from shortstop, and there’s no way that’s happening.
It’s a fun thought for Red Sox fans to imagine snagging a superstar name like Machado, but ultimately, it just wouldn’t serve a good purpose. There are much better directions for them to go.