Yankees Gutting Farm for Manny Machado Blockbuster Would Be Huge Mistake

The baseball world is waiting with bated breath for the Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes to conclude. Until then, we may not see much action on the trade or free-agent fronts.

In the meantime, another heavy hitter has elbowed into the picture.

The rumor comes courtesy of FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman, who reports the Baltimore Orioles "have received a couple calls of inquiry on superstar third baseman Manny Machado."

That's no shock, considering Machado is among the best all-around talents in the game. However, Heyman adds, the O's "would be willing to listen on any player—even their best player."

Now we're cooking with hot-stove gas.

Machado, if you need a primer, is 25 years old, has made three All-Star teams, won two Gold Gloves and twice finished in the top five in American League MVP voting. Despite a slow start last season, he launched 33 home runs while playing typically excellent defense at third base. Between 2015 and 2017, Machado ranked 10th in WAR, according to FanGraphs.

By any measure, he's a superlative stud entering his prime.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

He's also set to hit free agency after the 2018 season as part of a class that should include Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, among many others.

Any club that acquired Machado would get one guaranteed season followed by an explosively expensive question mark. 

Whenever a top-notch free agent or trade target makes the news, the New York Yankees are inevitably name-dropped. So we get the additional note, via Heyman, that "the Yankees and Phillies are among many teams expected to have interest in Machado."

The Philadelphia Phillies have gobs of cash to spend on free agency and are in the midst of a rebuild. Shelling out top prospects for a year of Machado makes zero sense for them.

The Yankees, meanwhile, got within a win of the World Series in 2017 behind a potent mix of young stars and veteran pieces. Adding a player of Machado's caliber would nudge them closer to the defending champion Houston Astros for Junior Circuit supremacy.

New York also has a loaded farm system, headlined by infielder Gleyber Torres, the game's top prospect, per MLB.com.

That's surely where the Orioles' demands would start for Machado, and they'd likely ask for an additional blue chip such as left-hander Justus Sheffield or right-hander Chance Adams, plus ancillary pieces.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

On Nov. 24, MLB.com's Jim Duquette opined:

"Trading Machado within the division to New York would be a tough sell to the O's fanbase, but the Yankees are a perfect fit for Machado, given that they don't have a long-term solution at the hot corner and will likely be a front-runner for his services next year when he hits free agency. If the Yanks would part with [Torres] who is coming off Tommy John surgery, that would make it enticing for the Orioles."

Wobbly veteran Chase Headley tops the Yankees' third base depth chart. They could put together a sparkling package that might force the Orioles' hand.

Still, New York should take a hard pass.

Tempting as it would be to pair Machado with right fielder Aaron Judge and catcher Gary Sanchez and form one of the most potent middle-of-the-order combos in the universe, the Yanks need to exercise patience. 

They saved their young chips last winter and at the July trade deadline, trusted their up-and-coming weapons and reached the doorstep of the Fall Classic.

Even after two-way Japanese star Shohei Ohtani spurned them, they're well-positioned to make noise in 2018.

Next winter, they can open the wallet for Machado, Harper or—heck—why not both?

Rob Carr/Getty Images

In the meantime, they can keep their MiLB stockpile to augment the roster with cost-controlled talent or swing trades for players who will be more than one-year rentals. 

If acquiring Machado now increased the likelihood of his signing with the Yankees long-term, it might be worth the outlay. But it's nearly impossible to envision a scenario where Machado avoids the market a year from now.

New York should also keep its trade bait for any necessary 2018 deadline deals, as general manager Brian Cashman explained to John Harper of the New York Daily News.

"Whatever we do this offseason, we have to leave room for in-season trades," Cashman said, per Harper. "But we'll be looking at everything. We'll try to gravitate to the best idea."

At the moment, the best idea doesn't involve Machado. Come next offseason, it might.

The Yankees aren't the pre-2016 Chicago Cubs or Cleveland Indians or even Los Angeles Dodgers, trying to break a longstanding World Series drought. They last won it all in 2009, which is a long time only in the Bronx. 

As the well-worn saying goes, good things come to those who wait. Machado is an undeniably good thing. The Yankees, with all their gestating potential and future opportunities, should wait.

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.