With the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline just around the corner, it has become increasingly clear that the Baltimore Orioles may trade their best player, shortstop Manny Machado.
Machado, who is set to hit free agency at the end of the season, can certainly be the missing piece for a contending team to get over the hump and win a World Series, which is why so many have shown interest in him.
Among the teams that were believed to be in the running are the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks.
It appears that list may be starting to shrink as according to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Orioles are beginning to narrow their focus on a few teams:
Sources: Orioles making progress and narrowing their focus in the Machado trade talks. Phillies and Brewers appear to be among the finalists.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 14, 2018
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is also reporting that the Dodgers are still in the mix along with the team Olney mentioned:
#Dodgers remain in mix for Machado, sources tell The Athletic. #Brewers in consistent contact with #Orioles; #Phillies as well. Yankees seem less involved. Talks fluid. BAL’s internal politics make nothing a sure thing.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 15, 2018
If the Dodgers don’t acquire Machado, they may begin shifting their focus elsewhere. They have also been linked to infielders like Brian Dozier of the Minnesota Twins, Scooter Gennett of the Cincinnati Reds, Asdrubal Cabrera of the New York Mets and Josh Harrison of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
With the MLB All-Star Game set to take place this Tuesday and Machado being the Orioles only representative as the starting shortstop in the American League, it was originally believed that Baltimore would wait until after the game to trade him.
If someone increases their offer though, it now seem like they will not hesitate to deal him beforehand. The Dodgers have been hesitant to include some of their top prospects in a potential trade for a rental, so it will be interesting to see if they change their mind on that stance.
As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in preparation for the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we’ve updated our Privacy & Cookies Policy. The updated Privacy & Cookies Policy will take effect on May 22, 2018. By using our services on or after that date, you’ll be agreeing to our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy. We recommend that you read our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy in full.
