The Orioles are looking at potential trades for Manny Machado. The Mets would be wise to attempt to acquire the 25-year old stud.
You may read the title and laugh. But why is this not reality? Why is Sandy Alderson not thinking about trading for a stud player like Manny Machado? The Mets usually disappoint when it comes to the Winter Meetings and the offseason in general. They rarely make the necessary moves to improve the roster for the upcoming season. This trend has led to 31 years without a World Series title, which is the 10th longest drought in all of baseball. The Mets need to change their ways and it starts with trading for Machado.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Orioles have asked teams to present offers for Machado—and that he would like to move back to shortstop with his next team. That is exactly where the Mets’ package should start.
The Package
The Mets don’t have the farm system they once did. It’s been depleted by promotions and trades compared to where it was just a few years ago. However, they do have some players that are intriguing trade chips.
Amed Rosario is no longer a prospect, having exceeded the 130 at-bat threshold last season (165 ABs), but he was the fourth-overall prospect in Baseball America’s 2017 midseason rankings. Rosario is only 22 years old and is under team control until 2024. He seems to have all the tools to be a top shortstop in this league. So, why do the Mets trade him? Prospects don’t always pan out. If you can get a top 10 player right now, you do it. On top of that, their current number one prospect, according to Baseball America, is SS Andres Gimenez. They have organizational depth at the position.
The deal will obviously not end there. The Mets would need to include two or three more players to make this a reality. A starting pitcher is a necessity in the deal as well. The complete deal could look something like this:
Mets Receive: 3B/SS Manny Machado
Orioles Receive: SS Amed Rosario, LHP Steven Matz, RHP Marcos Molina
Why the Mets do it
Machado is a 25-year-old stud who has already been to three All-Star games in his career while racking up MVP votes in three seasons and has two Gold Glove Awards as well. The guy is a bonafide superstar. Yes, he is a free agent after the season. But the Mets can convince him to stay by simply winning—and paying up for him, of course.
He would be inserted smack in the center of the Mets’ lineup while playing the position he wants. He would join a lineup that already features up-and-coming star Michael Conforto and power-hitting outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. If they can lock Machado up after this season, the Mets are looking at a player that can have an impact on the franchise for years to come.
Why the Orioles do it
Machado sounds like he wants to leave Baltimore once this season comes to an end. The Orioles are a potential playoff team this year, but they seem far away from contending for a championship. Instead of losing him for nothing, the Orioles can get a nice package in return if they trade him before the 2018 season begins.
Baltimore should be able to receive two-to-three MLB ready players and/or top prospects. In the package I proposed, they would be getting three young players that are under team control for years. As mentioned, Rosario has the chance to be a top 10 shortstop in the not-so-distant future.
In 22 games started in 2016, Steven Matz went 9-8 with a 3.40 ERA and finished sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. Matz’s problem is staying on the field, but if he can, he has the chance to be one of the top left-handed starters in the game.
Marcos Molina is the seventh-ranked prospect in the Mets’ organization, according to Baseball America. Molina is only 22 and had a solid season in 2017, pitching to a combined 3.21 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 106.2 innings pitched between Double-A and Triple-A.
Mets fans can dream, right? It is highly unlikely that Sandy Alderson actually makes this a reality, but the thought of it is certainly intriguing. Someone needs to light a fire underneath Alderson and the Wilpons. The Mets need to start taking more chances if they want to end their 31-year championship drought. It can all start with Machado.
