Seager may be a future stud, but his misguided stubbornness in managing his health and fatigue is worrisome. Along with the other Dodger bats coming up short with their unnecessarily over-aggressive approach in the World Series choke job, I'd welcome Manny Machado with open arms and make whatever room is necessary for him in providing little, if any, deference to the likes of Seager, Turner, and Bellinger on the roster in order to make that happen.
With regards to the Orioles' asking price for Machado (and Britton), I'd readily include Grandal and Verdugo as the starting base of an offer. Stewart, Stripling, Sheffield, Alvarez, and even Buehler would be in the mix for their aims at 2 young, controllable arms but it would be dependent on whether we can secure Machado to a long-term deal.
I still want to have bullets to offer in a pursuit of Chris Archer. Maybe we can substitute Toles for Verdugo depending on what pitchers we'd be including in the deal.
Furthermore, I'm not buying the BS that Friedman and Roberts are saying about liking the team as a 104-game winner and being hungry after a World Series loss. There was no excuse to lose Morrow to the Cubs given what he signed for and how he pitched for us in the postseason, especially with Roberts' panicked over-reliance on the bullpen. We got significantly worse by losing out on his talent and bulldog mentality.
The Dodgers may still be poised to compete for the postseason, but our status as contenders has taken a hit with the misses we've had this winter so far. They may be encouraged by the progress of Yimi Garcia but Morrow was as reliable an option as we've ever had out of the bullpen, health concerns be damned.
Brittany Ghiroli, MLB.com (12/12/17)
The Orioles are looking for two young, controllable arms in addition to a left-handed hitter and a veteran catcher. While trading Machado may help them fill some of their holes, other teams may be reluctant to part with top prospects for a player who will hit free agency next year. Duquette said no club the O's have talked to asked about a potential 72-hour window to negotiate an extension for Machado.
If the Orioles do indeed keep the All-Star, they still may have an opening at third base. Machado wants to move back to shortstop -- the position at which he was drafted -- though no final decision has been made.
Moving Manny? Orioles Listening to Offers
