Baltimore Orioles Preparing to Trade Manny Machado
By Nate Wardle
The Baltimore Orioles have been out of the playoff race since, well, a long time ago, and now is the time where they again become a team of importance: Trade season.
Are you ready? No, not for the Fourth of July. Or for the Baltimore Orioles to put their undefeated July record on the line against the competitive Philadelphia Phillies.
Are you ready for trade season? The answer is likely yes, because it is one of the few parts of the baseball season that still holds excitement for Oriole fans.
We have discussed ad nauseum the players who could be dealt, mainly because there is little left to mention about the team’s on-field play.
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Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Brad Brach, Adam Jones. That is probably the order, most likely to least likely. Add in guys like Danny Valencia and Mark Trumbo, and it becomes a full rebuild (as it should).
Let’s be honest, I have seen comments that the Orioles should DFA Craig Gentry and Jace Peterson once they make these deals, and I am okay with that. But maybe, just maybe you can get something for them? Particularly Gentry with his speed, although the fact both passed through waivers makes it unlikely.
The team should be listening to anyone and everyone. But, back to the centerpiece of trade discussions, Manny Machado. The rumors are going to start coming fast and furious, and we will work to make sure you are on top of the latest.
Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported today that the Orioles are looking to trade Machado sooner rather than later, to get the maximum value for the All-Star.
However, as Rosenthal astutely mentions, how fast this front office moves is a different story. If a team is communicating with Dan Duquette, they will also need to work any deal through…well, who knows who else.
Todd Zolecki of MLB writes that Machado is going to be a hot topic of conversation in Philadelphia the next few days, over whether they could trade for him and whether he could sign there next year.
He considers the Phils a long shot to acquire Manny, due to not being one piece away from the World Series. However, it is well-known the Phillies’ brass loves Manny, so while a long shot, it isn’t impossible.
Other teams mentioned today include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians, and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have been a logical fit ever since Corey Seager got hurt.
The #Dodgers are doubling down: They not only are aggressively pursuing #Orioles SS Manny Machado, but also #Tigers starter Michael Fulmer. The #Orioles, heavily scouting the Dodgers' minor-league system, want Class A pitcher Dustin May included in any package of prospects.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 3, 2018
Nightengale’s tweet offers some information that is a positive if you are an Orioles fan. First, there are teams aggressively pursuing Machado. This has been assumed, but it is looking more and more clear that the teams are there, it is getting the package to match up.
In addition, looking at Class-A pitchers means the Baltimore Orioles are truly looking at the long haul with this.
They can ask for Major League-ready pitching, and that is all well and good, but it needs to be good pitching. May is considered toward the back of the Dodgers’ top 10 prospects, but that is amidst a very strong prospect list.
May was a third-round pick of the Dodgers in 2016 fresh out of Northwest High School in Texas. He was the 69th rated prospect by Baseball Prospectus entering 2018.
In two seasons at high-A Rancho Cucamonga, the 20-year-old has a 2.84 ERA with a 6.23 strikeout to walk ratio and a WHIP of 1.092.
May, of course, would not be the only prospect the team would want. But, it is one of the first names to be bandied about that the Orioles are interested in.
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The Baltimore Orioles will continue to listen to teams on Machado. It won’t be as big a decision as where LeBron James went in free agency, but it does have the ability to impact the Major League Baseball season in a major way, and likely take a contender to a much stronger position for the stretch run.