Breaking down the three true outcomes of the Manny Machado drama

1. Homer: The “Godfather Offer” comes in

At least three major contenders are all the way in on acquiring Manny Machado, and all three have deep farm systems. The Dodgers, Brewers and Yankees stand out as the most aggressive suitors, and if the Orioles do this right, a bidding war could develop. The Yankees are a surprising entry into the sweepstakes, but they appear to be in it all the way to the finish. New York’s main weakness is in the starting rotation, but the crop of arms on the trade block this year is underwhelming at best.

As painful as it has to be for Orioles fans to see Machado linked to the Yankees as a potential trade spot, that is actually great news. The Yankees have a deep farm system and core of young players that could all be available for the right package. Would Miguel Andujar, Justus Sheffield or Clint Frazier be up for discussion if another player like Zach Britton were packaged up with Machado? Don’t rule that out.

The Dodgers and Brewers should also both be feeling the pressure to make a run at Machado, and both teams have prospects knocking on the door of the big leagues who could immediately help the Orioles. Names like Alex Verdugo and Brett Phillips have been bandied about. Either could step right into the Baltimore outfield and start.

Next: Ranking the teams Manny Machado would help most

Three teams are after Manny Machado, and all three desperately want him. That is favorable for the Orioles. Now, it’s up to Dan Duqette and the front office to play their cards right and hope that they receive an offer they can’t refuse. The Orioles may have missed their best opportunity to bring back maximum value for their star player, but they can still get this right and get themselves pointed in the right direction with the next core group.