Trade rumor grade: Are the Red Sox also making a play for Manny Machado?

More than half a dozen teams have had apparent interest in Manny Machado so far, and it’s not even halfway through July. All signs point to him being traded before the trade deadline, it’s just a matter of who now. The Brewers have looked like legitimate contenders for him and the Yankees, Dodgers, and Phillies have also been bandied about as possibilities. But another, surprising, team has now apparently thrown their hat into the ring.

The rumor

Earlier this week, the Yankees were rumored to be making a play for the Orioles star. Now, New York’s division rival is involved as well. The Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck reports that the Red Sox have a “renewed interest” in Baltimore’s talented shortstop and have been in “recent contact” with the Orioles about a possible trade.

Why it makes sense for the Orioles to trade Machado to the Red Sox

The Orioles are looking for quite the package in exchange for a three month Manny Machado rental. Their conversations with the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, and Brewers have all reportedly involved Baltimore asking quite a lot — much of it top prospects or highly valued young players.

While Baltimore might not get what they’re asking for in the end (any of these teams could chase Machado in free agency if they’re not desperate for a big bat right now), they’re certainly looking for highly regarded young pitchers or a mix between a top pitching prospect and major league players that can get them on track to compete over the next few seasons.

Boston can, in theory, give them that. Their farm system has the assets, should they want to part with them, to make this deal happen. They are similarly positioned to the Yankees’ potential offer in this way. At the very least, it makes sense for the Orioles to take Boston’s calls to see if it will light a fire under the Yankees to up their offer and accelerate a decision.

Why it makes sense for the Red Sox to trade for Machado

Not as much sense as might be needed for them to give up a haul it would take to convince the Orioles to trade Machado to an AL team, nonetheless an AL East team. Based on conversations the Orioles have had with other suitors, they are looking for top pitching prospects or a pitcher that can help them immediately next year as they rebuild.

Would the Red Sox give up top pitching prospects Tanner Houck or Jay Groome? Probably not. But it seems like that’s the type of central jewel in a package to make a Machado deal happen.

Boston also doesn’t need a bat or a shortstop with any sort of urgency. They’re one of the best offensive teams in the league, leading the Astros in run production by more than 20 runs this season. They’re leaders in batting average, OPS, and RBI, and second to the Yankees in total home runs and slugging percentage. Would Manny Machado be a nice addition? Sure, in theory. But Boston, like New York, are eyeing pitching more than anything and that combined with Xander Bogaerts offensive and defensive performance and short makes this a poor fit.

Rumor grade

D+. Boston isn’t in any great need of another bat, so giving up numerous prospects or one of their many young talents for a rental doesn’t make sense. Taking into consideration the higher price for the Orioles to go for an in-division trade, and the pros are nowhere near outweighing the cons.

This is classic tire kicking in the hopes that, if the Orioles do end up sending Machado to the Yankees, Boston’s supposed interest will jack up the price New York must pay.