Phillies Manny Machado update: Where the trade talks are at
Where do things stand with the Phillies and Manny Machado?
The Baltimore Orioles have played their last game before the All-Star break, and if the Phillies have anything to do with it, Manny Machado may have played his last game for Baltimore.
There’s been a growing sentiment around the league and with insiders that the Orioles want to get a deal done sooner rather than later. Additionally, the idea that the organization wants to have Machado represent them at the All-Star game is a factor.
Jayson Stark repeated this idea on 97.5 The Fanatic Monday morning, and said “It looks like there’s a handshake agreement with somebody on a deal, who it is we don’t know yet.”
Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in play for a deal, but after the Phillies appeared to drop off the map they are at the forefront of trade talks.
Former general manager and now a contributor to The Athletic and MLB Network Radio Jim Bowden tweeted the same idea during Stark’s weekly segment, saying it’s likely the All-Star game will be the last time Machado wears an Orioles logo.
Manny Machado will represent the #Orioles in the All Star Game….but he is expected to be traded before the regular season resumes later in the week according to sources involved in the trade discussions.
— Jim Bowden⚾️🏈 (@JimBowdenGM) July 16, 2018
The idea that Machado is the Orioles lone representative, he’d be replaced by someone else if traded, and that the game is so close to Baltimore means something in this deal.
It feels as if the Phillies are more likely to give up pitching prospects, something they’ve stacked up on since beginning the rebuild. Number two prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Adonis Medina pitched in the Futures Game in Washington D.C., and any major deal could have him involved.
The Orioles rotation has been horrible this year, allowing 5.20 runs per game, the third worst in baseball. Because of that, more major league ready prospects could be on the move, hinting towards Franklyn Kilome and Cole Irvin.
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Kilome is in Double-A and has been among the organization’s top pitching prospects, while Irvin has been lights out in Triple-A.
Late last week a handful of names emerged as potential trade pieces for Machado, including Kilome and Medina. Teenagers Arquemedes Gamboa and Jhaylin Ortiz were mentioned as well as potential trade chips, but Stark hinted on 97.5 that Ortiz is more untouchable than others.
Considering the success Philadelphia’s rotation has seen this year, it’s likely they aren’t too hung up on giving up pitching prospects.
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Ultimately, we could see a Machado deal come down this week after the All-Star game on Tuesday. Stark said the Phillies beat writers likely won’t “be laying on the beach Wednesday or Thursday.”