MLB trade rumors: Possible teams for Orioles’ Manny Machado | Yankees out? Phillies in? Who’s on the latest list?

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado will become a free agent after the 2018 season. So will Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. Both players could get contracts in excess of $300 million. Will Yankees GM Brian Cashman make attempts to sign or both of the players?

We’re now past Memorial Day, which means July Fourth will be here before we know it and then, bang, it’s the non-waive trade deadline on July 31st.

Perhaps the biggest name on the trade market will be Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado. He is scheduled to become a free after after the season (as is Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper), and Machado almost assuredly will not return to Baltimore.

So Orioles GM Dan Duquette has no other option other than to look for the best possible deal before the deadline.

Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun took a look at the market for Machado:

At this time of the season, it’s harder to differentiate the contending teams from the pretenders, which could create more suitors, especially among those underachieving teams out there such as the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. And there are surprise teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves who can use an established star to sustain their early-season success.

…

Now, that’s not to say a team needing a third baseman can’t and wouldn’t trade for Machado, but he’s made it clear to everyone that he’s most happy playing shortstop.

And that has appeared to take some potential suitors such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox — not to say the Orioles would trade him to a division rival — further out of the mix because they have established shortstops and have chosen to establish their own young players at third.

Saquon Barkley recruiting Aaron Judge?

So with the Yankees and Red Sox out of the mix (at least for the time being), here is Encina’s list of top five trade partners for the Orioles:

Braves: “The Orioles’ focus in a Machado trade must still be centered on acquiring long-term controllable pitchers. The Braves have an excess of intriguing young arms.”

Cubs: “The Orioles have been looking for major league pieces, which will be hard to come by from a contender, but getting the 24-year-old (Addison) Russell, a career .242 hitter, and (Mike) Montgomery, who turns 29 in July, isn’t one that would invoke tremendous excitement from the fan base.”

Phillies: “Machado would seem to be a good fit for the Phillies as they have a clubhouse similar to the one he was inserted into in 2012 with the Orioles — they’re young, hungry and have nothing to lose. A strong Hispanic clubhouse presence could help make Machado feel at home as well.”

Indians: “Cleveland has been connected to Machado for a while, but has never been among the perceived front-running teams, and that’s because the Indians have a pedestrian farm system with few major league-ready pieces and even fewer potential high-impact prospects.”

Cardinals: “The Orioles love top-50 pitching prospect Jack Flaherty, a right-hander, and the Cardinals have another top pitching prospect in Alex Reyes, also a righty.”

Machado is having an MLB-caliber year for the last-place Orioles (17-38). He’s tied for fourth in the American League with 16 home runs. He’s tied with Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez for first in the majors with 45 RBI. Machado is sixth in the AL with a .326 batting average.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.