MLB Trade Rumors: Orioles looking for massive haul in Manny Machado trade
The Baltimore Orioles are holding out for a massive return for superstar shortstop Manny Machado.
With the MLB trade deadline still three weeks away, things are starting to get hot and heavy for the Baltimore Orioles and potential suitors for All-Star shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado. Even with the superstar’s time under team control dwindling each day, the Orioles do not appear to be in a rush to pull the trigger on a deal. The asking price remains extremely high.
Contenders have begun making offers to the Orioles, but none have been quite good enough to get a deal done. Machado, good as he may be, is a rental player, and teams have become increasingly reluctant to part with the type of young talent the Orioles are seeking in return.
A deal is going to get done at some point, but one side — the Orioles or their trade partners — is going to have to blink first. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says that the offers have still yet to approach the lofty asking price. Contenders looking to acquire Machado have to be hoping the Orioles blink first and are forced to take a lesser return.
I keep hearing that teams aren't close to offering what the #Orioles want for Manny Machado. He's an amazing player, but he's still a rental, and Baltimore's expectations just don't jibe with the way the market values rental players these days. Something has to give.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 6, 2018
Neither of last year’s big rentals — J.D. Martinez or Yu Darvish — brought back a massive haul. The Detroit Tigers did not receive a single top-100 prospect from the Arizona Diamondbacks for their slugger, while the Los Angeles Dodgers only had to part with Willie Calhoun, a good hitter but a player without a clearly-defined future in the organization.
Speaking of the Dodgers, Jim Bowden of CBS Sports reported that Los Angeles offered up top prospect Alex Verdugo and raw but gifted right-hander Yadier Alvarez for Machado. It’s unclear, however, whether or not the Orioles would have had to include one of their multiple talented relievers to bring back Verdugo and Alvarez.
A return of prospects on par with Verdugo and Alvarez would be a massive coup for the Orioles in this era where teams are no longer selling the farm for rentals at the deadline. There are several factors working in their favor, especially the very tight pennant race in the National League. As many as eight teams have a legitimate shot at a playoff berth, and nearly all of them could use an upgrade at shortstop.
Regardless, this is an exciting, but nerve-wracking time to be an Orioles fan. The organization has to get this trade right, or risk falling even further behind the stacked New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Dan Duquette and his front office have the number-one player on the trade block this year, but that does not guarantee a massive haul. They have reportedly already turned down one huge offer with multiple impact players. The Orioles need to hold firm as long as possible, but run the risk of seeing the market dry up entirely as contenders look elsewhere for cheaper options.