MLB Trade Rumors: Manny Machado Being Pursued By Arizona Diamondbacks

The Baltimore Orioles don’t appear likely to trade Manny Machado before the start of the 2018 MLB season, but that hasn’t stopped teams from trying to acquire him. The Arizona Diamondbacks have been the most aggressive team in trying to land the third baseman, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

Several teams were reportedly trying to trade for Machado during the Winter Meetings, though Arizona wasn’t named among the teams trying to make a deal. The Chicago White Sox reportedly came the closest to striking an agreement with the Baltimore Orioles in December, while the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals also pursed Machado.

The Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies have also shown interest in Machado. If Baltimore does decide to trade Machado, they might be reluctant to send him to an AL East rival like the Yankees or Red Sox.

A trade isn’t close to being made, though Machado would certainly improve Arizona’s World Series chances if he was to be sent out west. The Diamondbacks made the playoffs a year ago, winning the National League Wild-Card Game and getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.

Arizona was fourth in the NL in runs scored last season, and they finished second with a .445 slugging percentage. Third baseman Jake Lamb hit 30 home runs for the Diamondbacks in 2017, and Machado has expressed an interest in moving to shortstop. The team was led by first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who posted a .966 OPS and had his third top-three NL MVP finish in the last five years.

Machado has one year left on his contract before becoming a free agent. He’s expected to land a much more lucrative deal than the record-setting one Giancarlo Stanton signed a few years ago.

Even in a down year by his standards, Machado still managed to hit 33 home runs for Baltimore in 2017. He bounced back from a slow start to hit .290 with a .326 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage after the All-Star Game.

In addition to being an excellent defensive player, Machado has averaged 35 homers and 92 RBI over the last three years. He finished ninth in the AL MVP voting in 2013 as a 21-year-old.