Yankees feel they’re in the driver’s seat to sign Manny Machado this winter

The Orioles are open to trading Manny Machado to the Yankees now, but Brian Cashman believes his team can wait and sign him this winter.

Acquiring Manny Machado right now would allow the Yankees to change the balance of power in the AL East this season. It might not be the best long-term move for the franchise, though. There’s a significant school of thought in the Yankees front office that believes the team should just wait to sign the All-Star shortstop this winter.

Reportedly, Machado has told friends privately that the Yankees are “easily his first choice” of teams to sign for in the offseason. If that’s true, it’s hard to imagine another team outbidding New York. In other words, the Yankees could acquire Machado without having to give up any young talent this season.

On the other hand, the team currently finds themselves 3.5 games behind Boston in the AL East. Cashman knows he needs to make some sort of move to rejuvenate his team. Preferably, that move would be for a front line starting pitcher, but that sort of arm might not become available for a realistic price. Gambling on the likes of Cole Hamels or J.A. Happ to fix the rotation might not be enough to help the team avoid the dangers of a one-game Wild Card playoff.

The smart move for Cashman is to continue to stay connected with the Orioles as the trade deadline approaches. It’s possible Baltimore might receive a massive offer for Machado that bowls them over, but that hasn’t materialized as of yet. If it never comes, the Yankees might be in a position to acquire Machado on the (relative) cheap if other teams perceive his move to New York as a winter inevitability.

Next: Yankees shouldn't let Sheffield block Machado deal

The good news here for Yankees fans is that Manny Machado is likely going to end up playing in pinstripes pretty soon. The bad news is that it might not be in enough time to help win the franchise a 28th championship in 2018.