There appears to be some new information regarding the Philadelphia Phillies and their quest to possibly acquire Manny Machado in a trade. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported on Saturday that the Baltimore Orioles have narrowed their search to a small group of teams.
Out of that small group of potential trade suitors, Olney said that the Orioles have had extensive conversations with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies have been mentioned as a possible destination for Machado over the last few weeks.
However, it seemed like they had fallen out of the mix for him, due to what Baltimore was asking for in return for the All-Star shortstop.
A couple of weeks ago, CBS Sports HQ MLB analyst Jim Bowden listed the Phillies along with the St. Louis Cardinals as front-runners for Machado.
Bowden mentioned that the Phillies did not want to put Sixto Sanchez in a deal for Machado. Sanchez is Philadelphia’s top minor league prospect.
If that is the case, the Orioles reportedly have their eyes on other players in the Phillies’ system, according to Olney.
Who might the Phillies have to give up for Manny Machado?
Some of these players are pitcher Franklyn Kilome, outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz, infielder Arquimedes Gamboa, and pitcher Adonis Medina.
A majority of these minor league players are still in Single-A, while Kilome is in Double-A.
It definitely seems as if the Orioles want a multitude of top prospects in return for Machado to help them in their rebuilding process.
Therefore, if the Phillies do not have to give up Sanchez for Machado, they may be more inclined to pull the trigger on a deal.
This season, Machado is having a career season offensively at shortstop. He is batting .313/.384/.566 with 23 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Whoever is the lucky team to get Machado, they will be adding a middle of the lineup superstar for their playoff push.
If it’s the Phillies, then they would be the favorites to win the NL East and possibly be able to re-sign him to a long-term deal. But if they cannot add Machado by the deadline, best believe Philadelphia’s front office will roll out of the Brinks truck for him in free agency.
In addition to the Phillies, Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reported that the Milwaukee Brewers have made a “good offer” to Baltimore for Machado, which puts them in contention with the Los Angeles Dodgers to acquire Machado.
