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At Least Six Teams Pursuing Zach Britton

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SUNDAY, 8:01pm: Last year’s failed Britton trade talks between the Astros and Orioles won’t play any factor in this year’s negotiations, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden tweets.  A source tells Bowden that Houston is “all in” on acquiring Britton.

3:48pm: The Rockies and Brewers are also in the mix, Heyman tweets.

1:38pm: There are indeed teams ahead of the Dodgers in Britton talks, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, who lists the Astros, Cubs and Red Sox as being “more active” than LA.

8:06am: It doesn’t appear the Dodgers or Braves are “quite as engaged” on Britton as other teams are, Crasnick relays. LA’s wary of the luxury tax, as mentioned below, while the Braves aren’t keen on giving up prospects for short-term help, Crasnick suggests.

SATURDAY, 8:44pm: It’s “at least” a six-team race for Britton, Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets.

8:14pm: The Orioles are seeking a return equal to or better than the one the Royals received for reliever Kelvin Herrera in a trade last month, Buster Olney of ESPN reports. Washington acquired Herrera for three prospects, though none ranked among the Nationals’ absolute best farmhands at the time.

7:39pm: Both the Cubs and the Astros “are trying to match up prospects with the Orioles,” Jerry Crasnick of ESPN tweets. The Dodgers are also among those who would like to acquire Britton, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports, though Rosenthal notes that it may be difficult because of LA’s desire to stay under the luxury-tax threshold. No matter where Britton goes, the O’s hope to make a deal happen within the next few days, Crasnick adds.

6:38pm: With Brad Hand and Jeurys Familia now off the market, Orioles left-hander Zach Britton may be the best soon-to-be traded reliever in baseball. The 30-year-old has drawn widespread interest in recent weeks, too, with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reporting “virtually every top contender” is in on him (video link). The NL Central-leading Cubs are among that group, and they “remain deeply involved” in the Britton discussions, sources tell Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required).

In at least the near term, Britton would likely serve as a replacement for Cubs closer Brandon Morrow, who went on the disabled list this week on account of right biceps inflammation. Britton has also endured injuries, most recently a ruptured Achilles that shelved him from the start of the season until mid-June. The two-time All-Star got off to a less-than-dominant start in his first action of the season as he returned from that injury, though he has been better of late as the deadline approaches.

Not only has Britton gone eight straight appearances (eight innings) without yielding an earned run, but he has seen his velocity climb closer to its past levels in the process. Of course, Britton has also walked a batter in three straight outings and has issued an unpalatable 10 free passes against 13 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings this year. To Britton’s credit, though, he has posted a 3.45 ERA and a terrific groundball rate (64.1 percent).

While the Cubs are high on Britton, Mooney wonders if they have a good enough farm system to win a bidding war for the pending free agent. Chicago has Baseball America’s 28th-ranked prospect pool, which seemingly places it behind the 8-ball, and Rosenthal notes Britton is likely to yield a “strong” return with so many championship hopefuls chasing him.

Given the competition for his services, Britton to the Cubs may be a long shot. However, if acquired, Britton would further strengthen a bullpen that ranks fifth in the majors in ERA and just added ex-Ranger Jesse Chavez via trade this week.

The Cubs’ relief corps has received great results from Morrow, Steve Cishek, Pedro Strop, Justin Wilson, Carl Edwards Jr., the unit’s top five innings leaders. Although, only one of those hurlers (Wilson) is a lefty, and fellow southpaws Brian Duensing and Randy Rosario are difficult to trust. Duensing has endured a brutal year, having logged a 7.31 ERA with more walks (23) than strikeouts (18) across 28 1/3 innings. Rosario, on the other hand, has done well preventing runs over 27 2/3 innings (1.95 ERA), but with 5.2 K/9, 4.23 BB/9, a sky-high 94.2 percent strand rate and a .238 batting average on balls in play against, he’s an obvious regression candidate. It’s likely Britton would be an upgrade over those two, and if his track record is any indication, he’d join Wilson in giving the Cubs a second formidable lefty reliever.

Dodgers Interested In Brad Brach

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  • Along with Baltimore’s closer, Zach Britton, the reliever-needy Dodgers are interested in Orioles setup man Brad Brach, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers have also scouted the Marlins and Rays and “monitored” Athletics closer Blake Treinen, Shaikin adds, though it seems improbable he’ll go anywhere with the A’s making a major push for a playoff spot. Conversely, as a pending free agent on a rebuilding team, the 32-year-old Brach is a good bet to end up in another uniform in the coming weeks. The problem for Baltimore is that Brach is in the midst of his least effective season in a while, with a 4.34 ERA/3.61 FIP and a 4.34 BB/9 in 37 1/3 innings. On the positive side, Brach has struck out upward of nine hitters per nine and generated swinging strikes at a solid clip (13.2 percent).

Cafardo: Yankees' Offer For Manny Machado Included Brandon Drury

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Third baseman Brandon Drury was in the package the Yankees offered the Orioles for shortstop Manny Machado, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. The Yankees’ proposal didn’t suffice for the Orioles, who sent Machado to the Dodgers for a five-player return on Wednesday. Drury has also been part of a 2018 trade, an offseason deal in which he went from the Diamondbacks to the Yankees, but he hasn’t been able to find steady playing time in New York. After entering the season as the Yankees’ starting third baseman, the 25-year-old Drury headed to the disabled list with migraines in early April, paving the way for rookie Miguel Andujar’s emergence at the hot corner. While Drury also offers a fair amount of experience at second base and in the corner outfield, the Yankees have set starters in those spots.

Trade News & Rumors: Trade Value Rankings, Dozier, Andujar, Britton

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Fangraphs recently released its annual rankings of the top 50 most valuable contracts in baseball, or the players who would have the highest value in a trade. High atop the list sits a pair of Indians infielders (Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor), while Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and Carlos Correa round out the top five. The rankings take into account the amount of money each player is owed and the length of his contract in relation to his expected future performance. While the list is top-heavy with young stars (as one might expect), there are a few surprising names later down in the rankings, and a few top prospects even make the list.

Speaking of trades…

  • Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has drawn trade interest from the Brewers, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP. That comes as little surprise considering the tight NL Central pennant race and the fact that Milwaukee’s second basemen have combined for the third-worst production in baseball to date. However, Wolfson also reports that another (unnamed team) has been “showing stronger interest”. For their part, the Twins (who now sit 8.5 games out of first place in the division) are open to moving Dozier.
  • The Yankees tried to acquire left-hander Brad Hand (who recently went to the Indians), but balked when they were asked to include young third baseman Miguel Andujar in the return, reports Andy Martino of SNY. That’s just one name the club had been targeting in a search for pitcher, but the prices for some of the available names (Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ, for instance), remain “insane” according to Martino.
  • The trade interest in Orioles lefty Zach Britton is “intensifying”, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Kubatko says that he expects Britton to be the “next Oriole out the door.” The Braves have thrown their hat into the ring recently, while the Cubs, Astros, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers and Giants have also been “in the mix”. As Kubatko aptly points out, the removal of Hand from the pool of available names should turn a lot of attention towards Britton.

Orioles Designate Chris Tillman

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2:49pm: Baltimore has given Tillman an opportunity to continue pitching in its minor league system, but he’s undecided as of now, general manager Dan Duquette told Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun and other reporters.

2:24pm: The Orioles announced that they’ve designated right-hander Chris Tillman for assignment. His roster spot will go to infielder/outfielder Renato Nunez, whom they’ve selected from Triple-A Norfolk.

Chris Tillman | Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Tillman’s designation continues an abrupt fall from grace for a pitcher who was a solid mid-rotation starter earlier in his career. Acquired from the Mariners in a 2008 heist, Tillman broke out in 2012 with 86 innings of 2.93 ERA ball and then threw between 172 and 206 1/3 frames in each of the ensuing four seasons. During that 844 2/3-inning span, Tillman logged a 3.81 ERA with 6.98 K/9 and 3.07 BB/9.

Unfortunately for Tillman and the Orioles, his career took a major turn for the worse in 2017. Tillman missed the first month-plus of the season with a shoulder injury and then struggled mightily across 93 innings, recording a 7.84 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 4.94 BB/9. In the process, he dealt with a decline in velocity and even lost his place in Baltimore’s rotation.

Despite Tillman’s nightmarish 2017, the starter-needy Orioles brought him back in the offseason on a one-year, $3MM guarantee with the hope he’d revive his career. The Orioles also hoped at the time that they’d push for a playoff berth, but they’re now among the worst teams in the league, and Tillman hasn’t helped matters. The 30-year-old made seven starts prior to his designation and combined for just 26 2/3 innings of 10.46 ERA ball, also issuing more walks (17) than strikeouts (13).

Tillman hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 10, after which he went on the disabled list with a lower back strain, and his velocity once again tumbled when he did take the hill. Further, Tillman has been ineffective across multiple minor league levels, including Triple-A Norfolk, where he has registered a 6.60 ERA with 3.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 15 innings.

With Baltimore now beginning a full rebuild, there are multiple eras coming to an end on its roster. Not only is Tillman on his way out, but the team just traded its best player, shortstop Manny Machado, to the Dodgers this week. There will be more longtime franchise staples headed out via trade in the next week-plus, too, with center fielder Adam Jones (who came over from Seattle with Tillman) and closer Zach Britton perhaps among them.

Given that the Orioles are turning over their roster, they’re in position to evaluate young players, including Nunez. The 24-year-old joined the Orioles off waivers from the Rangers in mid-May and has since batted .289/.361/.443 with five home runs in 228 plate appearances at Norfolk. Nunez is a lifetime .249/.311/.457 hitter in 1,341 Triple-A PAs and has seen a bit of big league action in each season since 2016, having combined for 72 PAs and a .167/.222/.273 line with the A’s and Rangers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Interest In Zach Britton Has “Picked Up Steam”

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JULY 20, 10:58am: Add the Braves to the list of teams interested in Britton, Crasnick reports.

9:28am: Baltimore’s “barreling ahead” with its Britton trade talks, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets. Along with the teams mentioned below (the Astros, Cubs, Yankees, Phillies and Red Sox), the Giants are among the clubs in the mix for Britton, according to Crasnick.

JULY 17: If and when the reported trade sending Manny Machado to the Dodgers is formally announced by the teams, the O’s could be quick to turn around and move longtime closer Zach Britton in a separate deal, reports MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli (via Twitter). Interest in Britton has “picked up steam” recently, according to Ghiroli.

Britton missed about half of the 2017 season due to a pair of forearm injuries and was out until June 2018 due to a ruptured Achilles tendon that required offseason surgery. And while his first few appearances since coming off the disabled list raised questions about his trade value, he’s looked more impressive lately.

Britton’s past seven appearances have been scoreless, but beyond the bottom-line results, he’s made some encouraging gains in terms of sinker velocity. His ground-ball rate has been a superlative 68.8 percent in that time as well — a noted increase from his earlier outings in which his sinker wasn’t at its most effective levels. That’s not quite to up to Britton’s (quite literally) historic standards, but it remains elite all the same.

Control has still been somewhat of an issue, as he’s surrendered three walks in those seven innings and thrown a first-pitch strike to just 40 percent of the hitters he’s faced along the way. But there’s no denying that Britton has begun to round into form at a most opportune time for an Orioles organization that, at the very least, looks to be a lock to trade the left-hander and fellow impending free agents Machado and Brad Brach.

Britton is earning $12MM in 2018, which will present a roadblock for a number of clubs interested in acquiring his services. As could be the case with the eventual Machado deal, the Orioles might have to include some cash to facilitate the deal and to improve the return they receive for their prized lefty. Britton is still owed about $4.8MM of that $12MM sum through season’s end.

To this point, the Astros, Cubs, Yankees, Phillies and Red Sox have all been connected to Britton in fairly prominent fashion. Surely, as is the case every summer, though, the top relievers on the market will draw at least some level of inquiry from the majority of contenders. Unlike the Machado saga, in which some contending clubs had little need for another infielder on the left side of the diamond, there’s no contending team in baseball that won’t have some interest in bolstering its relief corps. Certainly, some teams will consider it to be a more pressing need than others, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise if as much as a third of the league is tied to Britton before he inevitably finds himself with a new team for the first time in his career.

Orioles Did "Extensive" Background Work On Phillies Prospects Before Machado Deal

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  • It’s not entirely clear what the Phillies were offering in their efforts to acquire Manny Machado prior to the trade that sent him from Baltimore to L.A., but Jayson Stark of The Athletic tweets that the Orioles did “extensive background work” on right-hander Adonis Medina, outfielder Adam Haseley and left-hander JoJo Romero. Ultimately, though, the Orioles believed that the Phillies couldn’t (or perhaps weren’t willing to) match the upside that existed in headliner Yusniel Diaz, which prompted the O’s to ship Machado to the Dodgers.

Duquette: Machado Trade Marks Beginning Of Rebuild

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The trade of Manny Machado to the Dodgers will be the first of many for the Orioles, as executive vice president/general manager Dan Duquette told reporters in a conference call Wednesday night that the Orioles are set to embark on a rebuild of both their on-field product and their baseball operations and scouting staffs (links via Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com and Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball.com).

Duquette plainly used the word “rebuild” five times over a 20-minute conference call, Meoli notes — something which he’d previously been reluctant to do. The veteran GM called rebuilding a “grueling process” but also made clear that there’s a consensus among the front office on the need to do so, as well as support from owner Peter Angelos and his sons, John and Lou.

Critically, Duquette acknowledged that the team’s complete lack of a presence in Latin America has served as a roadblock to maintaining a competitive organization and declared that the Orioles will “become more active on the international market and invest in our facilities and strengthen our overall baseball operation.” As Meoli points out, the Orioles are still the only team in all of baseball who’ve yet to sign an international prospect on this year’s market (which opened on July 2), according to Baseball America’s signing tracker. Baltimore’s operational and philosophical changes, though will extend beyond an increased commitment to the international market.

“It’s a multi-dimensional plan,” said Duquette of the Orioles’ rebuild. “You have to do a number of things well to compete in professional sports, but we had identified the areas that we needed to improve in — technology, international scouting facilities, the draft, strengthening our analytics, investing in our international scouting, investing in more front office staff to be more in line with our competitors, expanding our nutrition and wellness resources at every level of the organization.”

Though that presents a clear long-term approach to upgrading that’ll require years to fully implement, there are also a number of pressing issues more immediately facing the Orioles. Namely, the front office has fewer than two weeks to determine who else from the roster they’ll trade prior to the non-waiver trade deadline in an early effort to continue to restock their farm system.

“We’re going to take a look at trading the veteran players…the ones that are nearing free agency,” said Duquette. Certainly, it seems that impending free agents Zach Britton and Brad Brach are virtual locks to be moved. Veteran outfielder Adam Jones is also a candidate, though his 10-and-5 rights grant him the power to veto any trade.

The question beyond that, however, is one of whether the Orioles will undergo a more significant roster overhaul. Starters like Kevin Gausman (controlled through 2020) and Dylan Bundy (through 2021) would almost certainly fetch significant returns on a trade market that currently has a dearth of controllable arms. Setup man Mychal Givens, too, is controlled through 2021, has already drawn some trade interest and would command a notable return in his own right. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop, meanwhile, is only controlled through 2019, though his value is probably down after hitting .229/.263/.389 through the season’s first half.

To be clear, there has yet to be any indication that the Orioles will consider moving talent from that group. But with the O’s unlikely to catch up to teams like the Yankees and Red Sox over the next couple of seasons as they restructure the organization, there’s certainly a case to be made that the Orioles should be looking at moving more than just their impending wave of free agents as they look to return to contention in one of the game’s toughest divisions.

However the Orioles proceed, Duquette, whose contract expires at season’s end, made clear that he hopes to remain on atop the team’s baseball operations stucture:“Like I’ve said before, my heart’s in Baltimore and I’d like to make the Orioles into a top, contending organization again.”

Dodgers Acquire Manny Machado

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8:07pm: Both the Dodgers and the Orioles have officially announced the deal. Valera has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, while the other four prospects involved will report to Double-A Bowie (h/t Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com).

6:17pm: After a small medical holdup involving one of the prospects coming back, the Dodgers have acquired All-Star shortstop Manny Machado from the Orioles. Outfielder Yusniel Diaz is the key piece headed back to Baltimore in the deal. They’ll also receive minor-league right-handers Dean Kremer and Zach Pop, along with infielders Rylan Bannon and Breyvic Valera. The Dodgers will take on the entirety of Machado’s remaining 2018 salary, which checks in at about $6.3MM.

Since starting out the year with an 8-20 record, it’s been all but certain that the Orioles would deal the impending free agent in exchange for more controllable talent ahead of the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline. But the question of where he would go would prove to be one of baseball’s most intriguing storylines for months. At different points in time, the Yankees, Brewers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Indians were all strongly connected to the four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award-winner, with the Braves and Red Sox more loosely associated in trade rumors.

The trade will, of course, close the book on Machado’s tenure with the Orioles organization, who drafted him with the third overall pick back in 2010 and watched him blossom into one of the best players in franchise history. With his new team, Machado will step in as the club’s everyday shortstop — a void that was created earlier this year when Corey Seager incurred a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery.

Manny Machado | Ray Carlin-USA TODAY SportsThough Machado, 26, broke into the league as a third baseman, he was drafted and developed as a shortstop and only moved to the hot corner due to the presence of J.J. Hardy at shortstop early in his Baltimore career. Machado voiced a strong preference to move to shortstop this season, and the Orioles accommodated that desire this winter, although defensive metrics have painted him in a dismal light (-19 Defensive Runs Saved, -7.7 Ultimate Zone Rating). It’s also possible, of course, that Machado’s glovework at short will continue to sharpen as he continues to re-acclimate to his natural position after spending years as one of the game’s premier defenders at third base.

Regardless of his defensive skills, there’s little denying the type of offensive upgrade he’ll bring to an already potent Dodgers lineup. Machado posted a .280/.338/.502 slash and 105 homers from 2015-17, and he’s in the midst of his finest offensive campaign yet; through 413 trips to the plate, he’s raked at a .315/.387/.575 clip with 24 homers, putting him well on his way to a new career best.

As was made abundantly clear at the time of this offseason’s Matt Kemp swap with the Braves, the Dodgers have a strong desire to remain south of the $197MM luxury tax threshold this year. Doing so would reset their penalty level from 50 percent to 20 percent the next time they cross that line (not coincidentally in advance of a stacked free-agent class). The Dodgers were roughly $15MM south of that line prior to acquiring Machado and the roughly $6.45MM remaining on this year’s $16MM salary. Earlier on Tuesday there were reports that Los Angeles could attempt to send a veteran player such as Logan Forsythe back to the Orioles as a means of offsetting some of that salary, but Rosenthal since reported that the Dodgers were sending only minor leaguers to Baltimore in the deal.

The 21-year-old Diaz immediately becomes Baltimore’s top prospect. MLB Pipeline’s most recent ranking pegged him as baseball’s #84 overall prospect, praising the potential of all his tools outside of power. In fact, he earns 55 grades across the board with his hitting, speed, arm and defense. Though he’s played center field in the minors, MLB Pipeline suggests he’s more likely to play right field at the MLB level. Thus far in Double-A this season, Diaz has hit at an impressive .314/.428/.477 clip with more walks than strikeouts to go along with six homers and eight steals.

Bannon, 22, is largely regarded as the second-best player headed back to Baltimore in the deal. Checking in as the Dodgers’ 27th-best prospect prior to the trade, Bannon profiles as a third baseman and has earned praise for his great defensive capabilities. That’s not to say that his bat doesn’t hold some potential, however, as he’s managed an impressive .296/.402/.559 so far with the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate. Though he’s compiled a gaudy strikeout total, his 14.6% walk rate is nonetheless impressive. Bannon game to the Dodgers by way of the number 250 overall pick in the 2017 draft.

Kremer checked in right behind Bannon at #28 on MLB Pipeline’s list of Dodgers prospects before being shipped to Baltimore. It’s said that his best pitch is his fastball, which sits around 91-94 MPH with some good horizontal movement. He also features an impressive curveball, and has recently found some success with a slider and changeup. Though he struggled as a swingman at the High-A level last year, the success he’s enjoyed thus far in 2018 (3.30 ERA, 12.99 K/9 at High-A Rancho Cucamonga) has convinced scouts that he has a good chance to stick as a starter.

Pop, however, does indeed profile more as a reliever. Despite a mediocre 7.67 K/9, he’s managed to post a 0.33 ERA through 27 innings in High-A this season. A 95% strand rate suggests he may have been a bit lucky so far, but a dirty 94-97 MPH sinker has impressed scouts and annihilated opposing hitters to such an extent that there’s optimism as to the right-hander’s upside.

Valera is the only player in the deal who’s spent any time in the majors. He spent seven years in the Cardinals’ minor-league system, eventually earning a promotion to St. Louis and making 11 plate appearances before ultimately being traded to the Dodgers in exchange for minor-league outfielder Johan Mieses. Valera’s made 34 plate appearances with the Dodgers this year, amassing just five hits but walking as many times as he struck out (four). That patience is a skill he’s shown in the minors this year, as evidenced by his 9.4% walk rate and 9.0% strikeout rate at Triple-A Oklahoma City. That’s in tandem with a .284/.350/.433 batting line at that level.

Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun first reported that the agreement was in place, moments after Roch Kubatko of MASNsports tweeted that it looked like a deal would go through pending some final points to review. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports was the first to report that the deal was finalized and that players were being notified. J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group had the first report on the inclusion of Diaz, Kremer, Pop and Bannon in the deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to report that Valera was headed back to Baltimore, and was also first to mention that the Dodgers were taking on all of Machado’s remaining salary.

Medical Concerns In Machado Trade Talks Between Orioles, Dodgers Are “All But Addressed”

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5:26pm: It “looks like the Machado trade to the Dodgers will go through,” tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Barring any last-minute hiccups (Kubatko notes that there are some “final points to review”), Orioles will indeed get five players back in the deal. He goes on to say that the medical concerns that appeared to be holding up the deal earlier have been “all but addressed”, noting that they were not a deal-breaker for the Orioles.

Likewise, Jim Bowden of ESPN tweets that the Machado deal should be officially completed this evening. A source close to the transaction tells Bowden that the medicals are “no longer an issue”, and confirms that Diaz is still the headliner in the package.

That said, it’s important to note that the trade is not yet official. As J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group points out on Twitter, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ lineup card for this evening shows Gavin Lux as the leadoff hitter, while fellow Machado-package prospect Dustin May is listed as the starting pitcher.

3:41pm: There’s a “possible snag” in the reported agreement between the Dodgers and Orioles that would send star infielder Manny Machado out west, according to Steve Phillips of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter). Precise details aren’t known, but it seems that some concerns arose in the physicals of the prospects that would go to Baltimore in the swap.

That said, the new wrinkle doesn’t by any means preclude the deal from ultimately being tweaked and coming together. Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets that the holdup doesn’t involve outfielder Yusniel Diaz, the centerpiece of the return going to Baltimore. Rather, it’s an issue with a more “complementary” piece, per Heyman, which creates more optimism that the trade will ultimately be agreed upon and pushed through as had been widely reported.

While all indications are that the two organizations came together for an All-Star Game deal involving Machado, there has, of course, yet to be any formal announcement. And many have cautioned not to assume anything until all the boxes are checked. The Orioles, after all, have blown up several deals — trades and free-agent agreements — over issues identified in physicals. Baltimore’s medical medical standards are notoriously stingy, and today’s reports only serve as the latest entry in a fairly lengthy history of such hiccups.

If the snag ultimately proves to be insurmountable, then it could be that the Machado situation will return to the forefront of the trade deadline market development. It has seemed for several days that Machado would head out of the All-Star break in a different uniform, leaving about two weeks for other movement to occur. That doesn’t appear quite as certain now, though, which means that clubs who’d believed themselves to be runners up will likely hold off on making other deals.

To that end, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted last night that the Brewers’ offer was considered by the Orioles to be the second-strongest proposal they received. The Phillies, Diamondbacks, Yankees and Indians are among the other teams that were prominently connected to Machado.

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