Red Sox Rumors: What it would take to trade for Manny Machado

What would the Orioles want in trade with the Red Sox for Manny Machado? Let’s put a package together for Baltimore to consider.

You are reading rumors that the Boston Red Sox are interested in a trade for Manny Machado and you can’t help putting a deal together in your head.

Other Red Sox Nation cranks would propose dumping Hanley Ramirez, a left-handed shortstop and a broken bat for Uber-Star Machado.

But you would take a more rational approach.

Word is that the Orioles say they are not in rebuilding mode, but maybe they should be with their star closer, Zach Britton, on the disabled list for four months with a ruptured right Achilles.  But, let’s suppose they are looking to dump Machado’s salary and want two major league-ready players, or guys who are on the bubble.

You review Machado’s stats and drool on your keyboard:

And, let’s assume that they would also be looking for a pitching prospect to sweeten the deal.

Let’s further assume that, if they deal Machado to the Red Sox and he will be set at SS, the Orioles will want a current MLB SS and, since Xander Bogaerts would not be moved to third base or the outfield in Boston, he is the man who is a must for Baltimore in any deal.

So far, it’s Bogaerts, an above-average defender who has yet to realize his power potential for Machado, an excellent fielder with proven power.

And you look at Bogaerts’ stats for comparison:

So, you take a peek at the Baltimore Depth Chart and two names jump out at you: Austin Hays and Joey Rickard, but not because they are famous quality OFs; they appear to be a pair of 4-A bodies that hit just above .200.

This makes you think the Orioles would want an OF or two, but they can forget Bradley.

Enter:  Bryce Brentz.

Yes, at 29, perhaps a late bloomer, but perhaps with more power potential than Hays and Rickard.

So, let’s put Brentz in the deal with Bogaerts.

Another peek at the Oriole Depth Chart shows that they have no backup listed behind Schoop at second base and they have Schoop listed as backup at shortstop and third.

Hence, you are GM Duquette and looking for a Swiss Army Knife guy, who can play any infield position and maybe even the OF; a proven MLB player.

ENTER:  Brock Holt.

If Holt were a regular starter, he would get four times the ABs as above and that works out to 80 runs scored and they guy is a career .265 hitter.

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So, we add Holt to Bogaerts and Brentz.

To a Red Sox fan, this might seem enough to give for Machado, but Manny is an All-Star quality SS both defensively and offensively.  But, hold the PRINT command.

Teams believe that ‘You can never have too much pitching’—so the Orioles, looking at the loss of Britton would find a potential reliever attractive.

ENTER:  Tanner Houk, RHP

He is No. 4 in the Red Sox prospect rankings and here is what the MLB Prospect Pipeline has to say:

“Houck had one of the best fastball packages in the 2017 Draft. His heater not only sits at 92-96 mph and tops out at 98, but it also features plenty of sinking and boring action and he commands it well. He misses a lot of bats with his fastball and hitters generate a lot of weak contact when they manage to connect with it.Some scouts question whether Houck will remain a starter, however, because of his secondary pitches and his low three-quarters delivery. His low-80s slider is more sweepy than sharp and his changeup is still a work in progress because he didn’t need it much as an amateur. If he eventually heads to the bullpen, he has the fastball to serve in a high-leverage role.”

And, that completes your imaginary deal:

Manny Machado for:

Xander Bogaerts

Bryce Brentz

Brock Holt

Tanner Houk

Next: Red Sox should not trade for Manny Machado

What are the odds the Sox get Machado? Did you know that Red Sox President of baseball operations, Dombroski worked with Baltimore GM Dan Duquette in the front office for Montreal Expos in the late 1980’s and early 90’s? A trade may be more realistic than we thought.