Let’s just get this out of the way right now: The Red Sox shouldn’t aggressively pursue a trade for either Miguel Cabrera or Manny Machado — two big-name superstars who’ve been linked to Boston in recent days — before the July 31 Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline.
Look, there isn’t much substance to this trade chatter, anyway. Cabrera’s name popped up Saturday when Alex Rodriguez said on FOX before Boston’s game against the New York Yankees that he wouldn’t be surprised if Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made a play for the Detroit Tigers slugger. And Machado’s name was tossed around Wednesday by ESPN’s Buster Olney, who said the Baltimore Orioles should consider trading the third baseman and reach out to the Red Sox as a potential dance partner given Boston’s issues at the hot corner. But even speculating is a little too much, as neither scenario makes sense for the Red Sox.
Sure, the Sox could use an offensive upgrade before the deadline, with third base being their biggest area of weakness. And yeah, either Cabrera or Machado would add a much-needed boost to Boston’s often powerless offense despite both players having down years, relatively speaking. But when you consider the cost of acquisition in either instance, it’s a no-brainer for the Red Sox to steer clear and explore other, perhaps more marginal, upgrades.
In the case of Cabrera, it’s all about age and money. As good as Cabrera has been throughout his career, he’s 34 years old and in the midst of his worst season since entering the league. Yet he still has a minimum of six years and $184 million remaining on his contract. (He has a pair of $30 million options for 2024 and 2025 that would take him through his age 42 season.) Gross.
Even if the Red Sox were able to convince the Tigers to eat a large chunk of Cabrera’s contract, which they’d have to do in order for Boston to come anywhere close to staying under this season’s luxury tax threshold, Dombrowski and Co. still would have to surrender assets as part of the deal — the premise being that Boston would relinquish a greater package of prospects in exchange for Detroit absorbing more of Cabrera’s contract. That’s not exactly ideal given the number of prospects the Red Sox have given up over the last couple of years in trades for Chris Sale, Craig Kimbrel, Drew Pomeranz and Tyler Thornburg.
Oh yeah, by the way, Cabrera also hasn’t seen any significant action at third base since 2013, making A-Rod’s suggestion even more puzzling.
As far as Machado suggestion goes, the idea seems somewhat logical on the surface, even though it’s probably far-fetched given the Red Sox and Orioles both play in the American League East and the three-time All-Star has a contentious history with Boston. But he’s under contract for 2018, too, increasing what already would be an astronomical price tag for one of the game’s best all-around players.
One could argue that acquiring Machado, who’s just 25 years old, represents a long-term move and thus justifies the Red Sox giving up their top prospect, Rafael Devers. But there’s a chance Machado would leave via free agency after next season unless the Red Sox back up the Brink’s truck. And if they did pay out the you-know-what, it almost certainly would come at the expense of locking up one of their other core players (like, say, Mookie Betts), much like absorbing most of Cabrera’s contract would leave them hamstrung financially.
Basically, the Red Sox, who currently sit in first place in the AL East, need to avoid temptation before the deadline. A proven star like Cabrera or Machado might jump off the page and create some buzz, but Boston could compromise its future by opting for a splashy move over a smart one.
Thumbnail photo via Patrick McDermott/USA TODAY Sports Images
