By WFAN.com
People close to Manny Machado are reportedly saying the Yankees will be the Dodgers star's first choice when he hits free agency this fall.
According to Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports, one friend of Machado's says the four-time All-Star would even give up playing shortstop in order to join the Bronx Bombers, a move reminiscent of his mentor, Alex Rodriguez.
Multiple people also say Machado's family is on board with him playing in the Bronx, reported Heyman, also a baseball insider for WFAN.
Machado, 26, has not said anything publicly about where he might play next season, but he did curiously "like" an Instagram photo in July that showed him wearing a Yankees uniform.
The Baltimore Orioles traded Machado to the Dodgers in July. Machado, however, views his time in Los Angeles as a stopover, Heyman reported.
It's not clear how Machado would fit in with the Yankees, who have Didi Gregorius at shortstop and rookie standout Miguel Andujar at third base, but that didn't prevent general manager Brian Cashman from engaging in trade talks with the Orioles this season for Machado. The Bombers also would probably want to shed some payroll -- all or part of Jacoby Ellsbury's $21.1 million salary would be an obvious target.
Machado is hitting .306 this season with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs. His next contract could surpass the 13-year, $325 million deal Giancarlo Stanton, now with the Yankees, signed with the Miami Marlins in 2014 as the most lucrative in baseball history.
Upgrading their rotation figures to be a higher priority for the Yankees this offseason. Heyman suggested the team could pursue Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin in free agency or re-sign 35-year-old southpaw J.A. Happ, whom they acquired in a trade with the Blue Jays last month.