With Orioles Roster On The Radar, Could The Yankees Pull Off The Biggest Blockbuster This Summer?

The New York Yankees have sent Brandon Drury back to Triple-A on Monday. Luis Cessa was called up in his place to start the second game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles. While Aaron Boone discussed how difficult it was to send down Drury, the decision was made to keep Tyler Wade on the roster for his versatility. Drury’s ability to play both corner infield positions, second base and corner outfield spots is apparently not good enough to surpass the woeful hitting Wade. However, I digress. With Drury finding himself back down in Triple-A due to Miguel Andujar, clearly the Yankees have a solid stockpile on infield pieces for the 2018 season. That is why Mike Moustakas is on their radar for first base. The Yankees do not need a third baseman this season. In other news, the Yankees are in the hunt for acquiring Manny Machado from Baltimore. What?

In a news piece that I had to read three times before believing it, it is reported that the Yankees are in on the Manny Machado sweepstakes. If you are confused by this news, you are not alone. Miguel Andujar has been solid as the rookie third baseman for the Yankees. He is batting .279/.309/.500 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. While those are not Manny Machado numbers, who is batting .309 with 21 home runs, it is still good enough to keep Brandon Drury trapped in Triple-A limbo. There is not a need at third base (or shortstop) that has to be filled by Machado. There are other contenders who need him more than the Yankees, but I guess the rich should get richer.

Though Manny could be the top prize, I think the Yankees are more interested in a bundle deal with the Orioles. It has also been reported that the Yankees are looking at Zach Britton as well as a starting pitcher from Baltimore as well. Personally, I believe that the Yankees are more interested in Britton than Machado. Over the weekend, Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees were interested in Britton and Brad Hand. Adding a left-handed reliever in addition to Aroldis Chapman is something that the Yankees even flirted with last season. Chasen Shreve has been hit hard since the end of May, holding a 7.82 ERA over his last 15 appearances. Shreve is the only middle inning left-handed reliever the Yankees have at the moment.

Bullpen Over Starting Rotation

Adding to an already loaded bullpen seems to be the way of baseball right now. The super bullpen is the way for teams to have success. That is why starting pitchers were used by the reigning World Series Champions as bullpen arms last season. Sarcasm aside, I think adding another left-handed reliever would be useful for the Yankees. Is that more important than adding a starting pitcher? No. Between all of these rumors, it is alarming that there is nothing being heard about starting pitching.

With that said, the starting pitching market is looking weak. JA Happ seems to be the best available. Though he is an All-Star, that still leaves much to be desired. Other pitchers who might be/are on the trade block include Cole Hamels (4.28 ERA), Tyson Ross (4.41 ERA), and Matt Harvey (7.00 ERA with Mets, 3.79 with Reds). That list of candidates is not very inspiring. There are outside candidates that the Yankees could go after with their deep farm system such as Madison Bumgarner and Blake Snell, however, those are less likely.

The lack of market could be the reason why the Yankees are looking toward the bullpen to address their pitching needs. Also, Domingo German has been serviceable as the fifth starter for the team, posting a record of 2-4 with a 5.06 ERA.

Baltimore Bundle

As mentioned previously, the Yankees’ interest with the Baltimore Orioles would likely result in a blockbuster bundle trade that included Manny Machado. Perhaps the idea is a one-stop shopping spree where a couple of needs can be addressed. The reliever and extra bat seem to make sense in Baltimore, but what about the starting pitcher? For a team who has 25 wins, finding quality starting pitching would seem like a slim chance. Looking at their roster, the only starting pitcher who would be an improvement in the rotation would be Dylan Bundy (4.08 ERA and 9.97 SO/9). He is under team control through the 2021 season, which would only drastically increase the asking price.

The Yankees could go after Andrew Cashner or Kevin Gausman (who are putting up similar numbers), but Cashner’s contract is too pricey and Gausman is also under team control for the next two seasons. In a trade that would also include Machado and Britton, that price tag would be through the roof. In theory, the Yankees might be able to add the contract Jacoby Ellsbury to the deal to help with the money, but Ellsbury would have to approve it first.

Personally, I believe that the reported interest in starting pitching is simply talk. The Orioles do not offer anything truly desirable to begin with, not to mention the mildly intriguing options are going to be costly. It would surprise me to see the Yankees acquire a Baltimore starting pitcher.

Locker Room Trouble

Outside of the fact that the Yankees already have two productive players are both of Machado’s positions, the thought of acquiring him is an odd one. When asked about the possibility of moving back to third base, Machado responded by saying that he is a shortstop. While that could have been a generic answer to a trade rumor question, it could spell trouble for the Yankees if they choose to acquire him. Though Didi Gregorius is no Derek Jeter, the Yankees did not shift Jeter to third base for Alex Rodriguez when he was traded to the Bronx. Likewise, I find it hard to believe that the Yankees would move the better defender in Gregorius over to third base for Machado.

To be blunt, Machado is not a good defender at shortstop compared to third base. It does not take “advanced analytics” to determine that either. Though the statistics of Machado being in the negative for defensive runs saved help, simply watching the man play shortstop makes it clear for all to tell. Machado should be open to playing third base for any contender (not only the Yankees). If he is going to be stubborn about “being a shortstop,” then that is going to cause locker room turmoil. Last season, the best acquisition for the Yankees turned out to be Todd Frazier because of the intangible element of his presence in the locker room. If (and that is a major if) Machado is going to be bullheaded about sticking to shortstop, then the Yankees should steer clear.

The Cost of the Deal

Manny Machado is earning $16 million this season. Zach Britton is making $12 million. If the Yankees were to acquire both of those players, then a larger contract would have to be shipped back in return to keep the Yankees under the luxury tax threshold. The team currently sits about $13 million under the luxury tax threshold. That leaves them room to make a deal, but not a Machado and Britton deal (plus more potentially). If the Yankees were to make this move, they would have to free up some money in some contracts. The obvious contract the Yankees would love to rid themselves of is Jacoby Ellsbury, who is making $21 million while rehabbing injuries. However, that no-trade clause is going to be a burden.

Who else could the Yankees send to the Orioles to free up money? Neil Walker could free up some money on his one-year deal. Walker is making $4 million this season and he has been bad (.194 batting average, nine extra-base hits). Wishful thinking for some fans might be to trade Sonny Gray to the O’s in exchange for Britton and Machado. It would fill the Orioles’ asking price of an MLB controllable starter. However, there is a better chance that Ellsbury returns as World Series MVP this season.

My best guess for a contract dump would be Neil Walker. Maybe Adam Warren could also join the deal to ease up more contract space, but I doubt it. The real cost would come from the prospects. Luckily for the Yankees, they do have an excess in certain areas of their roster that they could split from certain players without losing much.

The most obvious asset to be moved in this deal would be Clint Frazier. There is no room for him on the MLB roster and he is still desirable. If the Yankees were to have a deal for Machado, there is a strong chance that Miguel Andujar will be packaged in the return to Baltimore. Along with those two, I would say that a mixture of Chance Adams, Albert Abreu, Dillon Tate, and another pitcher who ranks between 10 and 16 in the Yankees’ system. There will likely be a lesser “prospect” thrown in the deal to go to Baltimore.

Do I think this trade will happen? Yes and no. I do not think Manny Machado will be in pinstripes this season. However, I do see Zach Britton coming to New York. I think the Yankees will offer the Orioles the best deal to acquire him (unless they go after Brad Hand).

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