While Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required/highly recommended) doesn’t necessarily expect the Orioles to trade Manny Machado prior to the season, he reports that the Diamondbacks are still pushing to acquire the infielder. D-backs second baseman Brandon Drury continues to be one of the players involved in Machado trade discussions, as Rosenthal first reported last month, and left-handed pitching prospect Anthony Banda has also been part of the teams’ talks. Machado would play shortstop in Arizona, potentially pushing Ketel Marte to second base and Chris Owings to a super-utility/outfield role, Rosenthal adds.
A few other items stemming from baseball organizations on the East coast…
- Though the Yankees were in on Cole at one point, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the two sides never actually came close to a deal. The Pirates wanted at least one of Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier, which may have (in my perspective) provided a reasonable framework to get a deal done. However, the hangup was over the other players involved in the package for Cole; the inability to agree on supplemental players proved an obstacle in getting a deal done.
- The latest on the Mets’ infield comes from Rosenthal, who writes that they’re more interested in acquiring a second base than a third baseman. However, it doesn’t seem they’ve made any headway with the Pirates regarding Josh Harrison, Rosenthal suggests, while free agent Eduardo Nunez may be too pricey at the moment. A reunion with free agent and ex-Met Neil Walker is possible, but there’s competition from the Brewers and other teams, per Rosenthal. Interestingly, even after signing Jay Bruce this week, the Mets are considering bringing back free agent first baseman Lucas Duda, Rosenthal relays.
- Elsewhere on the Mets front, suspended reliever Jenrry Mejia is expected to apply for reinstatement “in the near future,” Matt Ehalt of The Record writes. Major League Baseball hit Mejia with a lifetime ban for performance-enhancing drugs back in 2016, but he’s allowed to appeal after two years. That two-year window will expire in February, which will enable Mejia to vie for reinstatement and get a hearing with commissioner Rob Manfred within 30 days of submitting his application, per Ehalt. If Manfred doesn’t rule in Mejia’s favor, he’d have the ability to appeal to an arbitration panel, Ehalt reports. Regardless, odds continue to be against Mejia ever pitching in MLB again, Ehalt suggests.
The hang up was the other players. Frazier alone would have been better then the whole package the pirates accepted. And also Andujar is higher ranked then any of the players the pirates got.
No way Archer goes to Yankees. Brandon Phillips cost lesser for Mets.
How about Machado to Mets for Gellsman,Lugo,OF and so on?
Going to take a lot more than that to get Machado. You’ll have to start with Conforto. Who mentioned anything about Archer going to the yanks?
There’s not a chance in hell that the Orioles would get Conforto for a year of Machado
Nope, I agree. No way Conforto is traded for a year of Machado, that would be idiotic on New York’s end.
Could see one of Gsellman/Lugo, Tyler Pill/Zach Wheeler and Nimmo. They said they want 2 guys who can slide into the rotation, so they would choose between the 4 I mentioned and they want a interesting prospect and Nimmo could be a nice left handed platoon with Mancini in left.
Rosario, Wheeler and Gaellman
The orioles aren’t going to get much at all for him unless the other team knows they have a shot to sign him long term. That’s gonna take a lot of money. They should just take the d backs offer and run. It’s better then a draft pick they get when he becomes a free agent.
Mets aren’t trading Rosario for one year of Machado
There’s no point of the Mets even trying for Machado. They can’t afford to extend him, don’t have a strong farm and almost surely won’t contend this year
I agree with Tony, but I have to admit seeing Manny go to a rich team would be refreshing. I just don’t want it to be where he basically has to go to Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs etc
To a non-rich, medium market team would be refreshing**
Are you high conforto???????
When did I say anything about archer and the Yankees.
Matt Galvin
Are you high, dude?? You want Machado and give them dog shiiit in return. Not unless you can get the Orioles GM as high as you are right now!
I really don’t think the Yanks needed Cole. They need a lefty middle reliever (better then shreve) and a Vet who can play third/first (Todd Frazier) and to get rid of Ellsbury. I really think that should b the focus. I’m more interested in seeing Adams and Sheffield throw in the bigs then I am to trade Clint Frazier. If Ells can b traded, they will have a spot in Left when Gardy is a free agent.
I like tony Watson for the Yankees vet mid reliever could be gotten for cheap 3-18 ish deal
Honestly believe Clint will eventually be the left fielder by June. I think Hicks will either regress with the bat or get hurt. Gardner shifts to center while the twin towers alternate between DH and right.
dust44 – The Yankees DO NOT need Todd Frazier! He stinks out loud! Andujar is better than Frazier and he hasn’t even played in the big leagues yet. Frazier is an automatic out. I can’t understand why you would want to make the team older and weaker. You should want to make the team younger and stronger. Yankee fans used to always whine about the Yankees. not bringing up their homegrown young guys. They used to complain about the Yankees spending big money for old has-been free agents instead of playing their rookies. Now you have two talented youngsters knocking on the door and you want the Yankees to go back to wasting money on old broken down free agents. Do Yankee fans even know what they want? Can you guys ever make up your mind?
Unlike fanboys MLB teams don’t look at prospect rankings as a concrete evaluation of trade value. Teams have scouting departments and have their own evaluations of players and prospects. It’s probable that the Pirates didn’t value Frazier as highly as Yankee fans do. Frazier and/or Andujar wouldn’t be the first highly ranked prospects to fail ro live up to their potential.
“Yankee Fans” only regard him so highly because he’s on most scouts and magazine’s and journalist top MLB prospects list.
He was Baseball America’s #39 prospect in all of baseball last year. Prior to being called up, MLB.com ranked him #15. Baseball Prospectus had him ranked #16. Across ALL OF BASEBALL.
With the few games he played he was amazing and his defense was pretty good. Not a yankee fan a mariners fan.
Yeah, tad2b13 – Can you guarantee us that Cole isn’t going to FAIL to live up to his potential?? It goes both ways, dude. You’re always taking a risk when you make a trade. No one knows if Cole is going to shiiit the bed.or have a year like he did in 2015. Same as the top prospects. Scouts make an educated guess of what they think these guys are going to become but it’s not an exact science.
There’s risk on both sides. Cole could become an ace or nothing more than a 5th starter. The rookies could become all-stars or nothing more than below average players.
Read between the lines. The Pirates wanted one (or more) of the Yankees’ young pitchers. Ray Searage gets more out of pitchers than any other PC, so getting Musgrove and Feliz works for the Pirates. Plus knowing that Frazier is a disposable piece for the Yankees, the Pirates definitely wanted more from them for a #2 or #3 starter.
“Ray Searage gets more out of pitchers than any other PC”
So you’re saying Cole really isn’t that good?
And I think the criticism is that the package they got from Houston isn’t even close to what the Yankees were offering, so their “wanting more” makes Pirates ownership look foolish.
Well, if Searage gets more out of pitchers than other pc’s, what happened the last couple of years?
The Pirates won 75 and 78 games the last 2 years.
Pirates call. They obviously valued the Astros package more or Cash wasn’t really interested.
Never has “thank you captain obvious” been a more apropos response.
The fans in Birdland are very tired of waiting for the Orioles to do something this Winter…
My fear is that the Front Office is incapable of making a decision to move Machado for talent and move on with things…
A perfect storm of an old owner (who’s a multi-billionaire who thinks like he’s poor and has never loved baseball), total dysfunction in the decision-making process, and a Manager who wants the GM’s job….Lordy Lordy… Check please..
Orioles have done a good job picking ip bargains late. Be patient. The problem with moving Machado is getting the talent. He only has a year control and frankly his offense has been rather inconsistent over his career and he is coming off an off year.
My bet is if they cant trade Machado for what they want they go for it in what is likely to be the last year of their window and sign some good players to pillow contracts. They might actually get more for Manny at the TD if they drop out of the playoff hunt.
Well said 2222. Finally a sober voice when it comes to discussing the O’s. They’re doing just fine. It’s a proven competent front office.
They finished in last place, haven’t signed anyone and they stand to lose Machado for a comp pick.
Unless you’re a fan of another team in the AL East please explain how they’re doing “just fine”.
I dunno man…in looking at this roster, I’m not seeing much competence at all. Their medical staff is even a laughing stock.
Machado was a lucky draft pick and they stole AJones from SEA. Other than that, this team blows. Pretty much always has.
Orioles are a joke.
I’m a orioles fan since birth but I 100% don’t agree that they are doing “just fine”. A true fan wants to win the World Series not just be competitive. Manny should have been traded 2 years ago. They knew then they weren’t going to sign him long term.
Think Os also stole Chris Davis from the Rangers but we’re idiots resigning him with the current contract.
munchy, – A Yankee fan here. I think the Orioles are doing just fine. You might as well hang onto Manny Machado for another year. What happens if you guys have a shot at a wildcard? Hang onto Machado unless you want to trade him to the Yankees for cheap. I don’t want to give up more than one decent prospect for a rental when we can just wait for free agency and sign him without giving anything up.
There is no window and at the trading deadline contenders will as usual prioritize pitching. 1 year of control beats 2 months every time. They need to trade him now for the best package offered and their front office has been top 5 worst in the league. They don’t sign international free agents, they have a weak farm, a terrible rotation, gave out terrible contracts to Davis and Trumbo… A few “bargains” won’t get them past New York or Boston, and both Tampa Bay and Toronto look better right now too.
Those Davis, Jimenez, Gallardo, and Trumbo deals were real bargains.
MZ311 lol…real bargains. Smh.
Lols
Yeah, but much of the league hasn’t done much also.
Unless the Mets are willing to spend on Moustakis or Frazier (which I doubt), I’d say just go with Flores at third and Cabrera at 2nd. Sign Reyes to be the utility player and switch hitter of the bench. It’s about time they just let Flores play full-time and see what he can do with a full season. He’s produced as a super utility player.
Flores is garbage at third base. He has a decent glove but throws to first base are horrifically off target.
Flores is second base or backup first.
RIP Lahey
Stick with Flores and wait for Wright to come back from the Injury. Lol
The Pirates wanted Torres. That;s why the deal didn’t get done. I also don’t think they really wanted Frazier. The deal could’ve been done weeks ago if they wanted him as the centerpiece. & that didn’t happen. They wanted Torres as the centerpiece. They had to get an MLB-ready infielder in the deal because they already have needs in the infield and that would increase if they trade Harrison. The Yankees weren’t willing to deal the infielder they wanted.
Colin Moran. Gleyber Torres. One is not like the other.
If they insist on Drury, he needs to come with Talyor Clarke and Jon Duplanter. Based on the Orioles’s pitching needs, if they could get Zack Godley instead of Drury and then get a replacement for Machado elsewhere, that would be ideal for them. Godley and Clarke would give them two rotation pieces for 2018 and beyond.
Drury, Banda, Duplantier and Corbin maybe? Adding Corbin and Drury allows them to at least pretend they can stay competitive this year. I don’t see the DBacks parting with Godley since he’s exactly the kind of controllable starter they still need to sustain their success.
Also, the Yankees have been interested in both Corbin and Drury so I’m sure the Orioles owner would be happy to keep those players away from his arch nemesis
Cole wasn’t worth Frazier. Glad the Yankees past. I think Cole will have more success in Houston as their #4 or #5 starter anyway, than slotting in as a #2 or #3 in New York.
Orioles 100% need to trade machado. If they keep him and only get a draft pick at the end of the year they are foolish.
I love this photo of Machado. Looks like he’s hunting Ned Beatty down a stream.