5 things the Yankees must do if they miss out on Manny Machado
1. Revisit the Corey Kluber trade
We are being very intentional with our wording here. We are not suggesting that Cashman call up the Indians and give in to any demands they make to acquire Kluber. Instead, we’re saying he should pick up the phone and try to re-start discussions.
If, as previously reported, the inclusion of Estevan Florial was originally a non-starter, the Yankees should soften that stance. Missing out on Machado means Cashman will likely be forced to save his big free agency move for the winter of 2019. That increases the need to sacrifice prospects for high-end talent in the short-term.
Kluber absolutely qualifies as that sort of talent. The Yankees have a solid projected rotation heading into next year, but it lacks a guy you can really point to as an unquestioned ace. Slotting Kluber in every five (or six) days would slot the rest of Boone’s starters into their proper places.
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A deal starting with Florial and a couple of high-end arms should be enough to cause Cleveland to take a long, hard look at parting with Kluber before his value starts to decline to age. In the end that may not be enough to cause the Tribe to pull the trigger, but Cashman needs to find out. He can’t afford to leave any stone unturned in his search for an ace if Machado won’t be wearing pinstripes next year.