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Surprise! The Baltimore Orioles are garbage, with absolutely no hope for them to turn it around this season and the Manny Machado to the Chicago Cubs trade rumors are back. It’s not even May yet, so these could be heating up in the upcoming months.
Here’s what we know from the offseason. The Cubs were indeed talking with the Orioles, kicking the tires on a potential trade for Machado in December. Then there was a report that came out of Baltimore that mentioned three players that were being discussed between the Orioles and Cubs. I’m still not clear if it was all three for Machado, or one of the three as the headline and then a few prospects added in.
Anyway, the three players named were Addison Russell, Albert Almora Jr. and Mike Montgomery. Obviously the Cubs would never do that 3-for-1 deal and they didn’t, but one month into the 2018 season and the Machado trade rumors are back.
It started with Ken Rosenthal’s article last week in The Athletic, that listed the Cubs as a potential trade partner with the Orioles for Machado. Russell would be the centerpiece going back to Baltimore, as the young shortstop is under team control through 2021.
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But even then, tha Machado trade talk in Rosenthal’s article was only a suggestion, hypothesizing where Machado could potentially be traded to.
Yet, Jon Heyman took it to the next level, writing a full article in FanRag Sports on why Machado could be traded to the Cubs that included an unnamed source saying the following.
Some are, in fact, suggesting he just might be the first and most obvious trade candidate. And some see the Chicago Cubs as a perhaps the most logical landing spot in a trade
Again, Russell was named as the big player headed to the Orioles in this trade scenario.
Not really sure how the Cubs can be considered the most logical fit because of the lack of top-ranked prospects that the Orioles would also be asking for, but at the same time I doubt the Cubs would give up a lot for at the most the next six months of Machado.
That’s really the main issue here. Machado is going to be a free agent after 2018, and of course he’s going to test the market. Sure, he could be swayed to re-sign with the Cubs while he experiences his time on the North Side in this trade scenario, but that’s not a guarantee that he’d return.
Let’s assume the big deal here is Russell plus a few prospects for Machado. Yes, obviously the Cubs would greatly improve their offense, but then what?
The pro is obviously getting another star player in the lineup and you’d hope he’d perform in the postseason. But again, that’s not a guarantee either. Then, let’s say, Machado signs elsewhere in free agency, which is the most likely bet, and the Cubs are left with Javier Baez as the shortstop.
That’s fine, Baez is amazing, but then the defense at second base is left to Tommy La Stella, Ian Happ and a 37-year-old Ben Zobrist, who will be in the final year of his contract in 2019. Sure, Russell has been a below average hitter since making his MLB debut in 2015, but steady elite defense at shortstop isn’t a luxury teams are so willingly trading away. Plus, you get Russell’s defense for another three years while he goes through arbitration and you still have the hope he reaches his complete potential.
Plus, you know, the Cubs could not trade for Machado now, and then just sign him in free agency. If they do that, then they have all the chips to play with and could dangle Russell for any other need the team has.
Anyway, this is fun to talk about but it’s the Orioles, so I expect them to screw this entire thing up and only end up with a draft pick after not trading Machado this season.
