The Baltimore Orioles could trade all-star infielder Manny Machado sooner rather than later.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Baltimore GM Dan Duquette is accelerating the pace of trade talks with interested teams, knowing the return for three months of Machado would be greater than what Baltimore would get for two months.
Of the many teams that have reportedly been connected to Machado, Rosenthal says the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians are the “most motivated” to swing a deal for the shortstop/third baseman.
The Diamondbacks appear to be of particular interest as a potential Machado landing spot because, as MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported Wednesday, the trade chatter between Arizona and Baltimore has been “consistent.”
Set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, Machado is a three-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove winner who is among the hottest names out there for teams considering a short-term upgrade in the rental market as the MLB’s July 31 non-waiver trade deadline draws nearer.
The 25-year-old is batting .311/.378/.565 with 21 home runs and 59 RBIs in 362 plate appearances this season.
Despite those excellent numbers, Machado’s Orioles have been awful this season, with an MLB-worst record of 24-60 entering Wednesday’s action.
Due to the horrendous season Baltimore’s having and Machado’s free-agent status this coming winter, Duquette and the Orioles are trying to extract as much value as they can.
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Hamels returning to Philly?
Jon Heyman of Fancred is reporting the Philadelphia Phillies could be looking to re-acquire veteran left-hander Cole Hamels.
Hamels was drafted by the Phillies in the first round (17th overall) back in 2002, making his major-league debut with the club in 2006. He won a World Series with the Phillies in 2008 while being named World Series MVP, and was thrice named an all-star with the club.
In 2015, the Phillies traded Hamels to the Texas Rangers at the non-waiver trade deadline, where he has played ever since.
This season, the 34-year-old is sporting a 4.05 ERA with 104 strikeouts and 37 walks surrendered in 102.1 innings pitched across 17 starts for Texas.
Hamels has a $20-million club option for next season that comes at a $6-million buyout.
Brewers looking at starting pitching
Heyman is also reporting the Milwaukee Brewers are in the market for starting pitching.
This comes on the heels of an earlier report that the Toronto Blue Jays have been “extensively scouting” the Brewers’ minor-league system as they look for possible return value for lefty starter J.A. Happ, who could be a target for Milwaukee.
The argument against Milwaukee making a move for Happ, however, is that, according to Heyman, the Brewers aren’t interested in dipping into the rental market and Happ is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Nationals pursuing Reds pitchers
Dealing with injury to their starting rotation, the Washington Nationals could be looking at the Cincinnati Reds for help.
Another report from Heyman says the Nationals are interested in Matt Harvey and Raisel Iglesias.
Both are interesting targets as Harvey was traded to the Reds back in May from the New York Mets, while Iglesias hasn’t started a game since 2016, instead playing a relief role. However, Heyman reports Iglesias is looked upon as a starter by many MLB teams.
In third place in the NL East with a 42-42 record coming into Wednesday’s games, the Nationals are off to a surprisingly poor start to their season after back-to-back division crowns.
With superstar outfielder Bryce Harper set to become a free agent at the end of the season and no guarantee he’ll stay in Washington, the Nationals likely don’t want to squander what may be his final season in D.C.
Harvey, 29, boasts a 3.86 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 12 walks in 10 starts for the Reds this season and will become a free agent in the winter.
Iglesias, 28, has a 2.63 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 35 appearances and won’t be arbitration eligible until 2021 at the earliest.
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