Report: Yankees showing increased interest in Machado
The Baltimore Orioles have received the majority of interest in Manny Machado from National League teams, but one American League titan apparently has its eyes on the four-time All-Star.
Despite their need for starting pitching, the New York Yankees are reportedly showing increased interest in trading for Machado, major-league sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Adding Machado to the Yankees' offense would make one of the league's best units even more dominant. The club entered play Monday first in the majors in home runs and second in OPS.
POTENTIAL LINEUP w/ MACHADO
| ORDER | PLAYER | POS. | HR | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brett Gardner | LF | 6 | .724 |
| 2 | Aaron Judge | RF | 25 | .966 |
| 3 | Manny Machado | 3B | 21 | .941 |
| 4 | Giancarlo Stanton | DH | 22 | .862 |
| 5 | Gary Sanchez* | C | 14 | .723 |
| 6 | Didi Gregorius | SS | 15 | .768 |
| 7 | Gleyber Torres* | 2B | 15 | .905 |
| 8 | Aaron Hicks | CF | 16 | .876 |
| 9 | Greg Bird | 1B | 5 | .724 |
*Currently on DL
Machado has been adamant that he'll reach free agency this winter and seek to land a contract as a shortstop, and reiterated that he isn't interested in changing positions this season even if it comes with joining a contender.
"I'm a shortstop," Machado said following Monday's game against the Yankees, according to David Lennon of Newsday Sports. "I play shortstop."
It would be difficult for the Yankees to facilitate a move that would accommodate Machado's desire to play shortstop due to the presence of Didi Gregorius. If Machado becomes open to a move back to the hot corner, the Yankees would likely have to move rookie third baseman Miguel Andujar to the bench or the minors. New York could also have Andujar take reps at first base despite never previously manning the position at any level.
Meanwhile, the Orioles would likely prefer not to deal Machado within the division, but considering he's a rental and they are buried at the bottom of the standings, finding the best return is the priority and the Yankees' system is loaded with young talent.
New York showed plenty of interest in Machado over the winter, though it was reported that owner Peter Angelos wouldn't approve sending his star to the Bronx. However, Orioles executive vice-president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has no issues in terms of dealing within the division, and Rosenthal reported that Angelos isn't as active in the team's decision-making as he once was.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge received a warning from the league in March after suggesting during a spring training game that Machado would look good in pinstripes. Machado's a career .289/.344/.478 hitter with eight home runs in 45 games at Yankee Stadium.
It's believed the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers are the other teams with the most interest in acquiring Machado.