Dodgers trade for Orioles’ Manny Machado | What it means for Yankees

How the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Manny Machado trade with the Baltimore Orioles affects the New York Yankees. The deal for Machado was made official on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 (7/18/18), one day after the 2018 MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.

WASHINGTON — Maybe in the winter?

The Yankees lost out on the Manny Machado sweepstakes, with the Dodgers dealing for the Orioles’ 26-year-old star Wednesday.

Here’s what it means for the Yankees:

What it means immediately: Not much. Machado didn’t end up anywhere in the American League East … or in the American League. So, the Yankees won’t have to worry about Machado until, um, the World Series? Maybe? 

What it means long-term: Maybe a lot. Los Angeles is a star town. Machado is definitely one of those. The Dodgers might be able to entice Machado to sign a long-term contract — he’ll be a free agent in the offseason, expected along with the Nationals’ Bryce Harper to contend for maybe the richest contract of all-time. The Yankees have long been connected to Machado.

Yanks keep ’em, dump ’em

Is Machado bummed? Probably not. The Dodgers give Machado a chance to go from a losing Orioles team to a club with a shot at at World Series. But there seems little doubt he would have liked to end up in the Bronx. After all, he liked a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a Yankees uniform. He also posed for a photo with Yankees All-Stars with a suggestive caption from closer Aroldis Chapman. And Machado’s nephew told TV cameras that he would have liked to see his uncle play for the Yankees.

Focus back on starting pitching: It probably never really came off starting pitching in the first place. But general manager Brian Cashman won’t have to worry about surrendering any of his top prospects for Machado anymore and he can use them to add the rotation arm they so desperately need. The Yankees have been linked to just about every available staring pitcher imaginable: Cole Hamels, Michael Fulmer, J.A. Happ and more.

Didi Gregorius and Miguel Andujar don’t have to worry: Would Machado have bumped Andujar to the minors to play third base? Would the Yankees have had to accommodate Machado’s desire to stay at shortstop and (gasp) move Gregorius? Eh, doesn’t matter now.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.