Judge tells Machado he'd 'look pretty good in pinstripes' next season

Aaron Judge may have planted a seed in the mind of free-agent-to-be Manny Machado when his New York Yankees squared off against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

Before the contest got underway, the pair chatted about Machado's future and where the three-time All-Star might end up after next season, when he's set to become one of the offseason's most coveted free agents.

"Before the game, I asked him how his offseason was, how everything was going," Judge told NJ.com's Randy Miller. "I asked him how he liked (moving from third base to short).

"I told him, 'You'd look pretty good in pinstripes, too.'"

Machado didn't really have a response, according to Judge, who did discuss what it would be like to add a player of that caliber to an already-impressive lineup in New York.

"To add him to our lineup that we've already got ... it would be something special," he said. "He's one heck of a player. He's been doing it quite a few years at the best level. He's one of the best, if not the best, defensive third basemen. Now he's probably going to be one of the best defensive shortstops.

"And what he brings in the offensive side of it, he's the complete package. So he's going to be a happy man when it comes to free agency wherever he wants to go."

Yankees' projected starting lineup for 2018

Machado, Bryce Harper, and Josh Donaldson lead what will be an impressive free-agent class after this season concludes, with Machado expected to earn a very lucrative payday.

Related: New York paper shows Harper, Machado in Yankees uniforms

The 25-year-old, who will shift from third base to shortstop for the Orioles this season, owns a career slash line of .279/.329/.476 with 138 home runs and 406 RBIs. After going 2-for-3 on Wednesday, Machado is hitting .471 with 15 RBIs and a 1.367 OPS this spring.