N.Y. Yankees: Much Machado About Nothing

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

"He's a bluffin' bluffer ... Bluff!" - Ed Norton

New Yor Yankees: Why is Brian Cashman even remotely interested in acquiring Manny Machado?

... And why are the Red Sox seemingly expressing interest, for that matter?  At least Manny is a somewhat better fit with Boston than here in Bronx.  The Red Sox are unlikely to intrude on Xander Bogeart's space.  But depending on your opinion regarding Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez manning third base, acquiring Manny Machado might be worth investigating - for them.

But if you're an older Yankees fan, this may wreak of the 1980s all over again.  For the moment, though, this appears to be nothing more than scuttlebutt.  Otherwise, I just can't see the Yankees being serious about acquiring Manny Machado when they have Didi Gregoreous, Gleyber Torrez, Miguel Andujar, and a seeming glut of young emerging talent already in hand.

What the Yankees need is a starting pitcher.  Everyone knows that.

But this is just a theory: Brian Cashman is sly like a fox, and knowing how Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowsky ran the Tigers and the mess he left behind at Detroit, perhaps Cashman is merely driving up Machado's price in the hopes Boston Sox both depletes their farm system, then fail in retaining the looming free agent.

Then again, the Yankees trail the Boston Red Sox by 4.5 games heading into the All-Star break.  And neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox want the end the season hinging on a one game Wild Card playoff.

No wonder Yankee fans sound as if they're in a panic ...