WASHINGTON — The Yankees were indeed in for Manny Machado, and now as a deal for the Orioles slugger grows closer to conclusion, they are bystanders.
The Yankees were not willing to include one of their highest-end prospects such as Clint Frazier or Justus Sheffield. But they did make offers to try to land the All-Star, but were not among the teams the Orioles were seriously talking to as a trade for Machado neared finalization.
Internally, the Yankees like Miguel Andujar and Brandon Drury, but they saw Machado as a difference-making elite player on both sides of the ball as long as he was playing third base, not shortstop, and were willing to try to acquire him.