Red Sox Rumors: Boston showing interest in Manny Machado

With the Hot Stove finally starting to heat up, could the Boston Red Sox be plotting their first big move with a trade for Manny Machado?

The Boston Red Sox have had a rather quiet offseason so far. To this point, they have only signed first baseman Mitch Moreland to a two-year deal. But it seems as if Dave Dombrowski has made some plans to go after a big name.

Negotiations for Giancarlo Stanton broke down rather quickly once it was reported he did not want to play in Boston. And now, the Red Sox are currently in a staring match with super agent Scott Boras over JD Martinez.

So where does Boston go next? Enter Manny Machado.

Jon Morosi, MLB Network insider, reported on Friday evening that Boston has shown continued interest in acquiring Machado from the Baltimore Orioles.

Unlike Stanton, Machado does not have a no-trade clause, which means he is at the mercy of the Orioles. Baltimore has been entertaining offers on him since the Winter Meetings.

This offer is murky, because nobody is sure what the Orioles could ask for Machado. Sure, he is a top five talent in baseball. But Machado is a free agent after the 2018 season.

Boston would have him on a one year rental, in hopes they could get him to re-sign in the offseason.

But the Red Sox have a checkered past with Machado. This season, after Machado made a questionable slide into second base, tensions escalated. He went on an expletive-laced rant about the Red Sox, saying he had lost all respect for the organization.

But those things can easily be fixed to bring in a talent such as Machado. If the Red Sox have the chance, Machado needs to be in a Red Sox uniform.

How would Machado fit in Boston?

Off the bat, many people think this would mean that Rafael Devers is the odd man out. But this offseason, it has been rumored that Machado would prefer to move over to shortstop.

This would mean that Devers could stay at third, at least for the next couple of years. It would give Machado a few years to play at short, before eventually moving to third for good. Which would mean Devers could make the move over to first base, or maybe DH by that time, because Moreland and Hanley Ramirez will be off the payroll.

But that is all assuming that Machado signs long-term.

In the meantime, if the Red Sox acquire Machado, expect him to play shortstop this year. Bogaerts would likely be a part of the deal, and could be an enticing piece for the Orioles to build around, because he has two years left on his deal, and will not cost $300 million, or more in free agency.

The Red Sox offense would immediately become more lethal. Machado has a lifetime .805 OPS, and that includes his “down year” in 2017. This is a no-brainer for the Red Sox front office.

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But most of all, it would mean that Machado would not play for the Yankees in 2018. I think we can all be excited about that.

Stay with BoSox Injection for all updates on the Manny Machado sweepstakes. If a trade goes down, come back for a full reaction to the trade.