The Boston Red Sox are a likely trade candidate for Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
While no talk is in place, Rosenthal suggested the Red Sox, along with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Indians could potentially be interested in Machado if they could revert him back to a third baseman. Rosenthal’s reasoning for the Red Sox trading for Machado is the .667 OPS at third base, which is 28th in the Major Leagues.
Machado is batting .307/.378/.579 with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs after playing in 66 games this season. The gold-glove third baseman is using the 2018 season to shift into a full-time shortstop after six years at third.
Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers would likely be the biggest loss for the Red Sox in any sort of trade, with Rosenthal even going as far as to suggest the Red Sox ask for Zach Britton or Brad Brach if any move was to be made. Devers is in a slump at the moment and is hitting .235/.288/.412 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs.
While Rosenthal’s speculations may sound like a good deal to some fans, he also mentions that Machado would most likely be a rental, as he would rather sign with a team in need of a shortstop.
Giving the Orioles five years of a third baseman with lots of potential for only half of a season with an already great player could be a terrible deal for the Red Sox, leaving the idea of trading Devers for Machado unlikely. However, if the Red Sox did obtain Machado, he could be a key part in the team becoming successful in the postseason.
