Yankees Trade Rumors: Orioles Target Justus Sheffield in Manny Machado Deal

The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly seeking pitching prospect Justus Sheffield from the New York Yankees in any potential trade packages from their AL East rival for star shortstop Manny Machado.

On Wednesday, Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported there's "skepticism" the Yanks would be willing to include Sheffield if Machado, who's in the final year of his contract, would be a rental.

The 26-year-old Florida native is one of the most coveted players on the market ahead of the July 31 MLB non-waiver trade deadline. He's putting together a monster season for the O's with a .314/.385/.574 triple-slash line and 23 home runs through 91 games.

His going to the Yankees would seemingly force the World Series contender to shift its infield around, however, because the four-time All-Star has insisted on playing shortstop and not returning to third base, his previous position, if traded.

"I'm a shortstop. I play shortstop," Machado told reporters Monday.

That means shortstop Didi Gregorius would likely have to shift to second base, where he has just 11 games of experience at the MLB level.

Meanwhile, Sheffield represents a high price, given Machado may only end up on the Yanks' roster for about three months.

The 22-year-old left-handed starter is New York's second-best prospect and the No. 39 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com.

He has compiled a 2.44 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 95 strikeouts in 85 innings across 16 appearances, including 15 starts, between Double-A and Triple-A in 2018.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Yankees sources say their interest in Machado is being "overblown," though they still view him as a key free-agent target in the offseason.

Ultimately, waiting until the winter makes more sense for the Yanks. They'll need to reshape their infield to make Machado fit, and giving up a top-tier pitching prospect without any assurances he's willing to sign an extension would be a major risk.