Scout: Orioles’ Manny Machado won’t be traded to Yankees or Red Sox

A long-time major league scout provided his take on the trade rumors regarding Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado for NJ Advance Media on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 (7/11/18). Machado could be moved before the July 31, 2018 (7/31/18) non-waiver trade deadline, even though he will become a free agent after the 2018 MLB season.

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BALTIMORE — A long-time major league scout who has a lot of management connections laughed Wednesday when he was asked about the day’s hottest Manny Machado rumors, and there were some doozies.

“If you ask me where Machado is going to end up, I’ll tell you that’s a good question,” the scout said. “I’ll also tell you he’s not going to the Yankees and he’s not going to the Red Sox.“

MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman reported on Wednesday that the Yankees have “a strong offer” on the table for Machado and, according to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network and Fox Sports, the Orioles “are willing” to trade their on-the-block superstar shortstop to their biggest rival if Triple-A pitching prospect Justus Sheffield is part of the return.

Machado to Yankees? Boone ‘wouldn’t be surprised’

Meantime, the Baltimore Sun reported that the Boston Red Sox also have had trade discussions with the Orioles on Machado, who was 1-for-4 Wednesday night in a 9-0 loss to the Yankees after homering twice the night before in a winning cause.

A four-time All-Star, Machado almost certainly will be on the move before the July 31 trade deadline because he’s in the walk year of his contract and the Orioles are 26-67 after splitting a four-game series with the Yankees this week.

Here’s why the scout doesn’t see Machado becoming a Yankee this season even though there’s apparently an offer on the table.

“I just don’t see Manny as a fit and I don’t see them trading Sheffield to get him. They need starting pitching and that’s what I hear they’re chasing the hardest.

“Then there’s the part where Machado is saying he’s a shortstop and insisting on playing shortstop. Well, Didi (Gregorius) is going to play shortstop for the Yankees, so Machado’s out there.

“And you know what? (Miguel) Andujar is turning out to be a real nice player for them at third base, so why bring in Machado to play there … if he’ll play third base? I think this is just (Brian) Cashman doing his due diligence to see if Machado falls into his lap at his cost, not Baltimore’s.

And here’s why the scout is ruling out Machado going to the Red Sox:

“I’ve seen their farm system all the way down to low-A and I just don’t know what the Red Sox have to move to go get a Machado. I hear they’re interested in Machado. But they have no chance unless they move Rafael Devers, who’s starting at third for them, and every top minor-league prospect they’ve got. And all of them are so far away in the low minors that it’s unbelievable.

“Bottom line, the Red Sox don’t have enough to go out and get Machado, and it’s not close based on what I’ve seen.”

The scout predicted the Dodgers will become the favorite to land Machado if management changes its mind about not being willing to trade rookie starting pitcher Walker Buehler or either the organization’s top two prospects, Triple-A outfielder Alex Verdugo and Double-A catcher Keibert Ruiz.

“They don’t want to give up Buehler, they don’t want to give up Verdugo and they don’t want to give up Ruiz,” the scout said. “If I’m giving you Machado, you’re going to give me one or two of them, and the Dodgers don’t want to do it.”

So where will Machado end up?

“He’s not going to the Red Sox and I don’t think he’s going to the Yankees,” the scout said. “I’ll tell you what, the Dodgers need Machado, but they need pitching, too. They might need pitching more than they need Machado because their staff breaks down every week.

“The Brewers are in on this l, too, and they’ve got some players down in their system to give to Baltimore. They’re far from the finished product, but they’re interesting. Philadelphia or Arizona also could get him. 

“The problem here is Machado is a rental. It’s what everybody is thinking. ‘Why give up our best? If we don’t get to the World Series, now we lose Machado and we lost the prospects.'”

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.