MLB trade rumors: Latest on Phillies’ pursuit of Orioles’ Manny Machado

The Phillies could land Orioles shortstop Manny Machado before the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

Things are starting to get very interesting around the Phillies.

At 43-36, the Phillies are approaching the midway point of the season looking like a legitimate contender for both a National League wild card spot and the NL East crown. With the toughest juncture of the schedule in Philadelphia’s rear-view mirror, it’s time to start taking this team seriously.

Soon, we’ll find out how seriously the front office will treat a possible run to October. That’s especially true when peaking into the latest Manny Machado trade rumors.

It’s no secret that the Phillies will chase Machado when he hits the market after the season, but will general manager Matt Klentak go for the blockbuster in-season deal for a rental or go with a lesser (Adrian Beltre? Mike Moustakas?) upgrade on the left side of the infield?

Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports painted the Phillies (along with the Los Angeles Dodgers) as one of the top two favorites right now in the Machado trade sweepstakes.

In a market that will be the most-watched this summer and may contain many twists and turns to come, the Phillies and the Dodgers are said by one Orioles-connected person to be the most aggressive pursuers of superstar shortstop Manny Machado.

The Phillies, whose executives have very close links to Machado from their days in Baltimore and who are said to love the longtime Orioles star, have been seen as a prime player all along. The big question is whether they are willing to give up prime prospects when they are an up-and-comer, but yet to be firmly established as a legitimate World Series contender.

One person with Phillies connections suggested they are amenable to trading their very top pitching prospects like Sixto Sanchez; however, they have a nice list of pitching prospects that also includes Enyel De Los Santos, Adonis Medina and others and also the type of young infielders who might entice the Orioles, who are looking to restock that position, as well.

Machado, 25, owns a .303/.373/.557 slash line entering play on June 29 for a bottom-feeding Orioles team.

Bullpen targets

If the Phillies wait to pursue the slugger in free agency, a $350M (or higher) offer could be offered to make a deal happen.

Joe Giglio may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.