Maximizing service time and a Machado take

Former Orioles baseball operations leader Andy MacPhail once stated that it's better to call up a prospect a month too late rather than a month too soon.

The new management of the Orioles may look to adhere to that philosophy. And not just because they agree with MacPhail. Maybe because it makes good business sense.

At a time when fans seem excited to see young players get more opportunities with the club, some young players may have to wait their turn. Like most good organizations, the Orioles will no doubt look to maximize the time they can hang onto talented young players in the future.

That means not calling up players before they need to be added to the 40-man roster the following December. That could mean limiting service time to ensure players can be on the major league roster for at least seven seasons. This is just basic business practice for most clubs. But we could see it even more in play for the Orioles in coming seasons. If they find young talent on their farm or anywhere, they need to max out their time with such players.

There may be times when players are simply ready ahead of such a schedule, and perhaps some exceptions can be made. But to sustain success for any team, hanging onto talent as long as you can just makes perfect baseball sense. Although maybe not for the Players Association.

That means that Zac Lowther, Alex Wells, Michael Baumann, Blaine Knight, DL Hall, Cadyn Grenier and Rylan Bannon, to name a few, probably have little chance for even a September call-up this year. They won't need roster protection from the Rule 5 draft until December 2020 at the earliest.

Keegan Akin, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan McKenna, Yusniel Díaz and Dean Kremer will need to be protected in December 2019 and could get called up during the coming season (especially late in the season) as a result.

Still waiting on Manny: Did the New York Yankees' addition of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki mean they are no longer in the running to sign Manny Machado? I doubt it, and it's never a good idea to rule New York out on anything.

With the Yankees only on the hook for the minimum salary to Tulowitzki, that means they basically have no commitment there. And after Tulowitzki played in just 66 games the last two years, there is no guarantee he'll be healthy or durable in 2019.

Before Christmas, Machado met with the White Sox, Phillies and Yankees. Is it really down to those three teams? Will a mystery team emerge?

To this point, no one has reported on any offers for Machado and we wait to see just how big they will be. Will a team offer a big annual value over a shorter contract term with opt-outs, or will he get that deal for 10 years or even longer?

So many possible outcomes here and so much still to play out. I still think Machado winds up in the Bronx, and I think that is where he wants to be. And that is just my guess and speculation here. By the way, the Yankees open the 2019 season on March 28 - hosting the Orioles.