Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado is the most coveted trade target in years. It now looks like the race for which postseason hopeful lands him might come down to two National League squads.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Milwaukee Brewers have emerged as finalists to land the All-Star shortstop’s services before the trade deadline. The Philadelphia Phillies are also favored, even more than the New York Yankees.
Sources: Orioles making progress and narrowing their focus in the Machado trade talks. Phillies and Brewers appear to be among the finalists.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 14, 2018
Adding Machado’s bat to either lineup would have a dramatic impact on the National League Playoffs race. Milwaukee is in desperate need of help at shortstop, while Philadelphia is searching for an upgrade over Maikel Franco.
Given both teams could be competing for a wild card spot, adding Machado’s MVP-caliber bat could provide a major swing in momentum for one team and have the reverse impact for the other.
Both farm systems have the depth to pull off a trade for Machado. Now it might just become a question of which team blinks first at Baltimore’s asking price and gets the deal done.