As each day passes, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado appears to draw closer to being traded. Meanwhile, a clearer picture begins to emerge for who might be the favorites to land the All-Star slugger.
According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians are currently the favorites to land the services of Baltimore’s top player before MLB’s trade deadline on July 31.
The news that these teams are potential favorites for Machado shouldn’t come as a surprise given the time of year, along with recent reports on Baltimore’s front office.
According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Baltimore Orioles have started to field calls from other teams about the cost of Machado.
While Machado is an impending free agent who will likely want to test the free agent market this offseason, the price is likely going to be very high given Machado’s numbers this season.
In 52 games this season, the 25-year-old owns a .327/.399/.619 slash line with 15 home runs, 44 RBIs and 14 doubles. He also offers the versatility to play third base or shortstop, which will only lead to more interested suitors for Baltimore.
This is baseball’s biggest story to watch over the coming months, and depending on where Machado lands it could greatly influence who this year’s World Series favorite is.