Written by Mike Axisa at CBS Sports.com
The Orioles are in a difficult spot right now. They went 75-87 and finished in last place in the AL East in 2017, and next offseason core players Manny Machado, Zach Britton, and Adam Jones will become free agents. Britton’s name has reportedly already come up in trade talks.
Now, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, Machado’s name has popped up in trade rumors as well. The O’s are getting calls about their superstar third baseman, and while they aren’t actively shopping Machado, Heyman says they are willing to listen to offers. There’s no harm in listening. Here’s more from Heyman:
There are no known offers, and it would obviously take a ton for the Orioles to even consider moving such a superstar. The Yankees and Phillies are among many teams expected to have interest in Machado, who is eligible for free agency after the 2018 season – though the call list isn’t known.
While this is going on, behind the scenes the Orioles are also discussing whether to try to make a play to keep Machado long-term. He could be expected to receive a contract in the range of Giancarlo Stanton’s record $325 million deal as a free agent, and other teams believe that might be too steep for the Orioles, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try.
Given the fact Machado will be a free agent next winter, and is likely to test the market in hopes of landing a record contract, it stands to reason only contending teams would show serious interest in acquiring him. A rebuilding club wouldn’t want to risk trading top prospects for Machado only to watch him sign with a big market team as a free agent next winter.
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