The clock is ticking on a Manny Machado trade, but it looks like the hot stove surrounding the star shortstop only is lukewarm at best.
It’s been widely expected that the Baltimore Orioles will trade Machado by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline to avoid losing him for nothing in free agency this winter. But while there reportedly has been a heap of interest around the league, none of the trade talks reportedly are gaining much traction.
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
It’s tough to blame teams that are hesitant to go for broke to land Machado. Without an assurance that he’d be interested in re-signing in the offseason, a ballclub effectively would be ravaging its farm system for a player who will be with the team for three months at the most. That’s a tough move to make, even for a team with legitimate World Series aspirations.
Crasnick said it best: Something has to give with the O’s and their premier player.