There is a growing belief that Manny Machado will be traded before the conclusion of the MLB All-Star break, but baseball reporters still lack consensus when it comes to which team is the frontrunner to land the star shortstop.
On Monday night, multiple reports indicated the Philadelphia Phillies were on the verge of completing a deal for Machado. Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports refuted that Tuesday morning, citing sources who claim the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the lead.
The situation remains fluid, and the Brewers, Phillies and Diamondbacks could still become involved in the late stages of the race to acquire the perennial American League All-Star, who previously played at third base. But for now the Dodgers have emerged as a clear leader and could be close to acquiring the infielder for the remainder of the 2018 season.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is that Heyman believes the Dodgers would be acquiring Machado with the intention of letting him walk in free agency after the season. Shortstop Corey Seager is currently injured, but the 24-year-old is an up-and-coming star. There’s a chance the Dodgers could try to convince Machado to change positions, but all indications have been that he does not want to do that.
It’s hard to imagine the Dodgers putting together the best trade package if they only want Machado for a few months, but they are desperate to win a World Series after coming so close a year ago. That may be enough for them to risk giving up prospects and hoping they can change Machado’s mind about moving back to third base.
Of course, much of the information about where Machado might end up is being leaked by the Orioles themselves. That makes it difficult to separate truth from fiction, but we’ll have our answer soon enough.
