As the trade deadline nears, the Baltimore Orioles have started to accelerate talks around dealing shortstop Manny Machado. Now it appears as talks move forward, one team leads the pack with the best offer.
According to Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore has received offers from seven teams. Even more importantly, the Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly lead the field with the best offer on the table.
According to the report, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians and Dodgers have each made offers for Baltimore’s All-Star shortstop.
While the Dodgers have the leading offer, all seven offers are reportedly close. According to the report, Arizona’s offer in particular is especially close to the Dodgers.
This will be one of the most fascinating trade deadlines in recent memory. Machado is an elite player who could swing the playoff race in a major way and turn any of these clubs from a playoff contender into a World Series-caliber team.