Orioles general manager Dan Duquette hinted he does not intend to trade star third baseman Manny Machado.
Next year’s MLB free agent class could be one of the best ever. Among the names who will be available to the highest bidder are Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, and Charlie Blackmon. Then there’s Clayton Kershaw, who can opt out of his current contract and become a free agent as well.
The Orioles are faced with the tough decision of how to handle Machado. They can trade him this offseason, trade him during the regular season, or risk losing him for nothing as a free agent.
During an interview with MLB Network Radio, Duquette hinted the team will hold onto Machado by saying he “has a lot of value to the 2018 club.”
Duquette would not shoot down trade considerations for Machado but said “he has a lot of value to the 2018 club” and mentioned a high draft pick if he leaves for free agency @MLBNetworkRadio
— Jim Duquette (@Jim_Duquette) December 10, 2017
Machado will be 26 years old when he hits free agency. He is one of baseball’s elite defensive players and boasts 30-home run power at the plate. And, after injury concerns early in his career, Machado has played in 156, 157, and 162 games the past three seasons.
One MLB executive believes the Orioles have “no shot” of re-signing the three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner. While Baltimore is reportedly not planning to shop Machado this winter, they have been receiving phone calls.
It would presumably take an overwhelming offer to get the Orioles to trade Machado. It will also likely take an extremely large financial commitment to secure his services for the foreseeable future. How the Orioles handle the situation will be heavily monitored over the coming months and one of the big storylines heading into the 2018 season
