The Baltimore Orioles are shopping Manny Machado, asking potentially interested teams to make offers for the third baseman, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The club is looking to receive immediate value for Machado, 25, rather than trading him at the non-waiver deadline or risk losing him to free agency following the 2018 season.
“I don’t think it’s that far down the track,” said Dan Duquette, Orioles’ executive vice president of baseball operations, of Machado trade discussions. “It’s prudent to find out which way the wind is blowing.”
According to Rosenthal, Baltimore does not expect to re-sign Machado, who could command a contract in the neighbourhood of $300 million.
Despite spending his entire six-year career at third base, Machado has expressed a desire to play shortstop next season in an effort to boost his value. The two-time Gold Glover was drafted as a shortstop and played there for most of his minor league career.
The Orioles would like to acquire two controllable starting pitchers in a deal for Machado. If he’s traded, it could signal a larger rebuild for the club, with closer Zach Britton and setup man Brad Brach possibly next to go. That would be a departure from the typical win-now philosophy Baltimore has displayed under owner Peter Angelos.
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