Fansided

Top 25 tradeable pieces to keep an eye on this season

By Joshua Sadlock

BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 16: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 16, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 16: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 16, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – MAY 05: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the fourth inning at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on May 5, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – MAY 05: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the fourth inning at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on May 5, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

1. Manny Machado

The Baltimore Orioles kicked around the idea of trading their All-Star third baseman turned shortstop early last offseason, going so far as to field offers, before electing to push all their chips to the middle of the table and make one last run at it. Manny Machado is off to an all-world start in his walk year, but the rest of his team is making the New York Mets in their expansion year look competent.

The writing was on the wall as early as last summer, and the Orioles are left with no other option but to make Machado available and trade him to the highest bidder.

Machado is having the best year of his career by a wide margin and is making the transition back to shortstop without much of a hitch. His defense is not quite as valuable up the middle as opposed to at the hot corner, but that can be overlooked with his OPS hovering over 1.000. Machado has finally honed his approach at the plate and has nearly as many walks as strikeouts.

The Arizona Diamondbacks were able to acquire the best rental bat in the league last year, J.D. Martinez, without giving up a single top-100 prospect. If that’s all the Orioles are able to bring back in a Machado trade, that’s going to be a tough pill to swallow. Baltimore has mismanaged their star’s contract status and impending free agency at every step of the way. All they can do now is hope a bidding war ensues for the one player at this year’s trade deadline capable of carrying a team to a title by himself.

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