The Yankees are trying to trade for Manny Machado again

Let’s just be upfront about this: The chances of the Yankees landing Manny Machado are slim.

Peter Angelos, the Orioles’ owner, has no love for New York, and he will do what he can to avoid sending his impending free-agent superstar there. That won’t stop the Yankees from trying to get Machado in pinstripes a year before they can attempt to sign him, though, as Jon Heyman reports, they have checked in with the O’s on Machado again this week.

The Yankees also aren’t the only rival that has tried to land him, according to Heyman, as the Red Sox have also inquired. And the Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals, D-Backs, and Phillies have all been linked to the third baseman.

Machado had a down 2017, as his bat didn’t consistently come alive until well into the second half: He batted .303/.338/.525 in his final 76 games but just .259/.310/.471 for the season, below his career line, which is already below actual expectations for Machado considering he came up at 19 but didn’t blossom as a star until he was 22.

That makes dealing him now that much more difficult, as teams aren’t going to want to pay for the Machado who can produce Gold Glove defense while providing one of the best bats at this position when they can argue that he most recently was not that guy — and that on top of not knowing if he’s going to be around for only a year before bolting as a free agent.

Which means the Yankees have the opportunity here, given their farm system, to get close to what the Orioles want in an offer while still probably getting a deal for Machado, especially when they have the cash to retain him a year from now. It all comes down to what Angelos will allow in the end, of course, so even if the Yankees are in the best position, as Heyman says, it’s all relative.