Orioles Rumors

Dodgers, Orioles Reportedly In Agreement On Manny Machado Trade

By Jeff Todd | July 18, 2018 at 12:08am CDT

12:08am: Michael Duarte of NBC Sports L.A. tweets that right-handed pitching prospect Dustin May, long reported to be a target of the O’s, is expected to change hands in the deal. Double-A infielder/outfielder Errol Robinson is also believed to be included, per Duarte.

That said, Heyman casts doubt on the inclusion of May, tweeting that the Dodgers’ unwillingness to part with him was the driving factor for structuring a deal around Diaz.

11:22pm: Heyman tweets that the players in the deal are agreed upon, though there could yet be some medical reviews to be finalized. Notably, he suggests that there are “believed to be” five minor leaguers going to the Orioles, though obviously the quality of those five will vary. It’s still unclear who, outside of Diaz, is going to the Orioles in the deal, but Heyman adds that there’s no cash changing hands in the trade. That won’t yet put Los Angeles over the luxury tax line, however. Machado is owed about $6.45MM through season’s end, and the Dodgers were about $15MM south of the luxury tax line prior to this agreement.

9:15pm: Rosenthal tweets that Machado to the Dodgers is indeed happening. Diaz will go back to the Orioles as one of the pieces in the deal. It’s not yet clear which other players are involved or how much money (if any) the O’s are sending to the Dodgers along with Machado.

Meanwhile, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko cautions that he hears a deal isn’t “done,” though that seems to be largely a matter of semantics. Kubatko notes that the All-Star Game has been a significant impediment to the deal’s completion. He adds that upon inquiring as to whether the deal could be completed tomorrow, one source replied: “It could have been tomorrow for the last 2 weeks.”

While any deal can unexpectedly crumble before it’s formally announced — Baltimore axed a deal that would’ve sent Zach Britton to the Astros at the last minute last July, for instance — the overwhelming consensus at this point seems to be that Machado will be a Dodger by the time the regular season resumes on Friday.

6:17pm: The Orioles’ return from the Dodgers is expected to consist only of prospects, Rosenthal further tweets. L.A. won’t send anyone from its Major League roster to the O’s barring a last-minute change. As such, if the Dodgers are going to move a big league asset such as Forsythe for luxury tax purposes, that’ll come in a separate trade, it seems.

5:08pm: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that “several” other clubs who’ve been involved in the bidding are expecting the Dodgers to land Machado. The Dodgers are “increasingly likely” to acquire Machado, per Rosenthal. Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times, meanwhile, tweets that the Dodgers are believed to be close on a Machado deal.

4:16pm: Machado tells reporters that he has not heard anything today from either the Orioles or his agent regarding a trade (Twitter link via Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times).

12:48pm: Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Dodgers are the club with the framework of a deal in place. But the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber tweets that the Phillies are still “aggressively motivated” and optimistic of landing Machado.

11:10am: The Dodgers have indeed offered to include Diaz, Heyman tweets.

10:17am: Heyman provides a few more hints regarding the possible connection (Twitter links). One chip to keep an eye on is Dodgers outfielder Yusniel Diaz, he suggests. Working out the money may also mean that an expensive veteran player could head back to Baltimore in a potential deal, Heyman adds. On paper, at least, Logan Forsythe would seem the obvious player to utilize in that regard. Sending salary back to Baltimore would obviously mean that Los Angeles would need to sweeten the return.

8:05am: The Dodgers “appear to be the leading contender” to acquire Orioles infielder Manny Machado, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred (Twitter link). That said, there’s still no deal in place and Heyman adds that “the situation is fluid.”

As we’ve traced this key trade deadline story in recent weeks, multiple teams have emerged at one point or another as supposed “favorites” or “leaders” to add Machado. All along, we’ve also heard reporters caution that many clubs aren’t yet sure just when the O’s will make a decision. And with two weeks yet to go, it’s still plausible to imagine that they’ll continue to wait.

Thus, while Heyman says a “deal should be done this week,” he adds an important proviso (“barring turnabout”). And while this latest report indicates the Dodgers are homing in on Machado, it was reported late last night that the Phillies were surging into the lead by dangling one of their best pitching prospects.

Before that, the Brewers were reputedly part of a trio of leaders, and Heyman tweets that the Milwaukee organization remains a possibility. He adds that the Diamondbacks — another team once deemed the favorite by some — are also still on the periphery. And who could forget that, less than a week ago, we were learning of a surprise Yankees surge. Perhaps it should not surprise if other teams manage to vault back into the conversation, too.

There are plenty of ways to interpret all this, of course. It could be that the Dodgers are indeed lining up to get Machado. Or, maybe it’s the Phils that are doing so. Perhaps the Orioles really are preparing to strike a deal coming out of the All-Star break, a seemingly sensible approach that would avoid further injury risk. Or, it might be that the steady stream of horse racing metaphors is an indication that the Orioles are seeing how far they can push the bidding, comfortable in the knowledge that they can still move the finish line back a few more times.

From Machado’s perspective, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes, it’s hard to play through the “distractions.” The longtime O’s star says he wishes he knew more about where he might be headed, but adds that VP of baseball ops Dan Duquette “has been doing a really good job of trying to keep us informed as much as he can.” Machado also gave something of a preview of his anticipated approach to free agency this coming winter, saying he’ll be looking to figure out where he and his family will be “happy” rather than maximizing his earnings.

Report: Orioles Working Through Medicals On Machado Deal

By Jeff Todd | July 17, 2018 at 9:40am CDT

The Orioles are “going through the medicals/paperwork” in an effort to finalize an agreement with an unknown team, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). While the “structure of a deal [is] in place,” Olney also stresses that “this in [sic] not finished yet.”

Despite the cautionary language, it’s obviously quite notable that the Baltimore organization has reached this point with another club. While numerous past arrangements have blown up at this stage — the O’s, especially, are notorious for finding health concerns — the exchange of medical information represents a significant step that would not take place without a clear path to a completed transaction.

Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun had tweeted this morning that a deal was likely to be wrapped up by the end of the All-Star break. But it seems talks may be rather more advanced than that. It’d be quite a surprise, needless to say, if anything is finalized before Machado appears in his O’s uniform in today’s All-Star Game. But it now seems we’ll watch a fascinating trade situation unfold on a major stage for the game.

We heard last night that the Phillies were coming forward with a big offer. Then, it emerged this morning that the Dodgers appeared to be the favorite. Meanwhile, it seems the Yankees are largely bowing out of the process, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

That mix of reporting provides the most recent series of clues as to just where the Machado sweepstakes may be headed. It’s unclear which organization is best situated to land him, let alone for what package of players, but it now seems reasonable to expect that we’ll learn the answers to those questions in relatively short order.

Latest On Manny Machado

By Steve Adams | July 16, 2018 at 10:03pm CDT

10:03pm: The Phillies “would include” young righty Adonis Medina in a deal for Machado, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Medina, a top-100 prospect, is a player the Orioles have long been rumored to have interest in. If he’s in the package, it could make the Phils “well-positioned” to land Machado, writes Morosi, though surely there’s still time for other organizations to boost their offers as well.

3:55pm: The Orioles are getting “very close” to reaching an agreement on a Manny Machado trade, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). However, despite a report of a “handshake agreement” between the Orioles and Phillies by Barstool Sports, Kubatko adds that there’s no deal between the two teams in place. To the contrary, Kubatko notes that both the Brewers and the Dodgers remain involved in the Machado market. Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com agrees, tweeting that “numerous” sources tell her that rumors regarding an agreement with the Phillies are “untrue.”

To be sure, it’d be strange for any club, especially one in the Orioles’ position, to effectively close off bidding 36 hours in advance of completing a trade when a better offer could come floating in at any time. An arrangement of that nature would come with little in the form of precedent. The inevitable Machado trade will be a franchise-altering moment for the Orioles, and cutting off negotiations this far in advance would be a downright bizarre means of going about it. By agreeing to a delayed agreement, they’d leave no room for the Dodgers, Brewers or any other club — the Yankees, D-backs, Braves, Indians and others have been involved to varying extents — to top whatever is currently being offered by the Phillies.

That said, it’s true that the league generally frowns on news of this magnitude breaking during All-Star festivities. It’s certainly possible that both sides are optimistic about something coming together shortly after the All-Star Game, and none of this is to say that the Phils won’t ultimately come away as the “winners” of the Machado sweepstakes, so to speak. But for the time being, it’s only logical to assume that the bidding for Machado remains open as the the Orioles seek to extract the best possible package of young talent.

Regardless of where Machado ultimately lands, the timeline depicted this lengthy saga may indeed reach its end shortly after the All-Star Game. Reports over the past week have indicated that the O’s are loath to trade Machado prior to the Midsummer Classic, where he’ll represent them in Washington D.C. as the American League’s starting shortstop. Jim Bowden of The Athletic took matters a bit further this morning, tweeting that Machado is “expected to be traded” after Tuesday’s All-Star Game and before the regular season resumes play on Friday.

As one can imagine, the rumor cycle is beginning to wear on even Machado himself. Speaking to reporters during the media hour for today’s events, Machado said that if he is ultimately going to be traded, he “100 percent” hopes it is over with sooner rather than later (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Jayson Stark). “To not answer these questions anymore, that would be good,” said Machado. The infielder also once again acknowledged that he has “no say” in where he plays following a trade (Twitter link via Fancred’s Jon Heyman), but his preference in free agency will be to pursue opportunities where he’s able to play shortstop (Twitter link via Ghiroli).

Cubs Interested In Zach Britton, Brad Hand

By Mark Polishuk | July 15, 2018 at 9:14pm CDT

The Cubs have been in contact with the Orioles about closer Zach Britton, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports. Padres closer Brad Hand is also on the Cubs’ “wish list” for potential bullpen upgrades.

At first glance, the relief corps doesn’t stand out as a glaring need for Chicago, as the Cubs’ relievers have posted generally strong numbers overall (aside from ranking 29th amongst bullpens in BB/9). Brandon Morrow has quieted the critics by pitching very well as the Cubs’ closer, and he has also been generally healthy, spending only a 10-day minimum stint on the DL in June due to back spasms.

Still, even the most loaded of teams will still scan the market for an extra bullpen arm, and the Cubs have a particular need for ninth-inning depth given Morrow’s lengthy injury history. It’s worth noting that Chicago has yet to use Morrow on three consecutive days (though he has pitched three times in four days on multiple occasions), and only one of his 35 outings has been longer than an inning.

Morrow is signed through 2019 with a club option for the 2020 season, so adding Hand (signed through 2020 with a club option for 2021) would give the Cubs with a long-term back-of-the-bullpen tandem that would rival any in the game. Britton is only signed through the remainder of this season, and thus would come at a lower price tag in trade talks, though there is enough interest in his services that the Orioles can ask for a healthy prospect return.

Chicago is one of eight contending teams who have checked in on Britton, according to Levine. We already know the identity of some of these other teams, as past reports have linked the Red Sox, Yankees, Indians, Astros, and Phillies to Britton’s market. Hand has also drawn attention from other teams, with the Yankees also known to have interest in the left-hander.

Britton didn’t make his 2018 debut until June 12 due to offseason Achilles tendon surgery, though given his track record, he only had to show that he was both healthy and reasonably effective to earn himself a spot as one of the deadline’s most sought-after trade pieces. Through 14 2/3 innings, Britton has a 3.68 ERA, 7.98 K/9, and 62.2% grounder rate, with a hefty 25% homer rate and a 5.52 BB/9 standing out as red flags. He has thrown scoreless outings in 13 of his 15 appearances this season, with all of his six earned runs allowed coming over two rough outings (and 1 1/3 innings) against the Braves and Mariners.

It’s hard to really pass judgement based on such a small sample size, though Britton has at least looked solid, if obviously not at the level of his past dominance from 2014-16. His average fastball velocity of 94.3 mph is down from the last two years (when he cracked the 96mph threshold), though Britton has been increasingly throwing harder in recent outings, as one might expect as he shakes off the rust.

Hand, meanwhile, has been outstanding in his second year as the Padres’ closer. The lefty owns a 3.05 ERA, 13.2 K/9, and 4.33 K/BB rate over 44 1/3 innings, numbers that just earned him his second consecutive All-Star selection. Hand’s 13.8% swinging-strike rate and 93.8mph average fastball are both career highs.

Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers Reportedly In Lead For Manny Machado

By Steve Adams | July 15, 2018 at 2:59pm CDT

JULY 15, 2:59pm: The Phillies, Dodgers and Brewers are indeed in the lead for Machado, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, but a source tells him “it’s too close to call” whose offer is the best. The Braves are still alive, adds Encina, who writes that “the strength of the Yankees’ offer appears to have been exaggerated.”

2:32pm: The Yankees are still “serious” about acquiring Machado, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears.

1:37pm: The Orioles continue progressing toward a deal, tweets Olney, who echoes Heyman in suggesting the Phillies, Brewers and Dodgers are the three most likely clubs to acquire Machado. Olney omits the Yankees and Indians, however.

9:06am: The Brewers have made a “good offer” for Machado, Heyman tweets, adding that they “appear” to join the Phillies and Dodgers as the most likely landing spots for the shortstop. The Yankees and Indians are also still alive, Heyman suggests.

JULY 14, 5:44pm: The Orioles are “definitely motivated” to get a deal done as soon as possible, Olney adds, citing an evaluator who is familiar with trade discussions.

5:14pm: The Orioles are “making progress and narrowing their focus” in Machado trade talks, Buster Olney of ESPN tweets. The Phillies and Brewers are said to be among the finalists; it isn’t clear who the other finalist(s) might be at this time.

1:19pm: The Phillies are “thought to be” ahead of the Yankees “and maybe most others” in the Machado derby, Heyman tweets. The Brewers, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Indians remain in the mix, though, per Heyman.

JULY 13, 6:30pm: Rosenthal adds on Twitter that the O’s are taking a closer look at the Philadelphia farm. And Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets that there has been “some progress” between the sides

That said, there’s some uncertainty among teams pursuing Machado as to when the O’s intend to make a decision, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). While the club is said to “have a pretty good idea what [Machado] can bring” back in a trade, it seems that some suitors are wondering if the Orioles won’t wait to act until the deadline gets closer.

12:55pm: The Phillies have improved their offer to the Orioles for star infielder Manny Machado, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter links). In recent days, the Brewers, Dodgers and Yankees have been categorized as the favorites to land Machado. However, Rosenthal suggests that while the Dodgers and Yankees have the strongest offers on the table, the Brewers are beginning to fade from the mix, while the Diamondbacks are, at this point, “on [the] periphery” of the market.

Regarding the Yankees’ interest in Machado, some have considered it a questionable fit given the presence of Miguel Andujar and Didi Gregorius on the roster. Rosenthal, though, echoes recent suggestions from MLB.com’s Jon Morosi that it’s at least possible that Andujar could be utilized as the centerpiece of a trade to acquire a controllable piece in the rotation, thus opening a spot for Machado. There are questions about Andujar’s defense, Rosenthal notes, which is borne out in defensive ratings (-12 Defensive Runs Saved, -7 Ultimate Zone Rating).

Suffice it to say, there are plenty of moving parts on the Machado front. Baltimore has been said to be keen on acquiring controllable starting pitching, and the Phillies have plenty of options in that regard, as do the Brewers, Yankees and Dodgers.

It’s not yet clear what, precisely, the Phillies (or any team) is willing to offer up, though the Phils have intriguing young rotation pieces in the form of Zach Eflin and Enyel De Los Santos, each of whom has already pitched in the Majors this season (extensively so, in Eflin’s case). Right-handers Sixto Sanchez and Adonis Medina are each considered to be among the game’s top 75 or so prospects, and the Phils have a number of MLB-ready back-of-the-rotation options on the 40-man roster who could be secondary pieces (e.g. Ben Lively, Jake Thompson, Drew Anderson, Mark Leiter Jr.)

Regarding the Yankees’ scenario, while some fans would undoubtedly bristle at the very notion of moving Andujar, third base is a position of depth for the Yanks, who still have Brandon Drury as an option who could step onto the big league roster following the season, should that scenario ultimately play out. Of course, the Yankees also figure to be prominent players in the offseason market to acquire Machado this winter, and if they’re successful in that regard, Andujar would’ve potentially been viewed as an expendable piece anyhow. As ever, it’s worth emphasizing that that’s one of numerous scenarios that’s likely being kicked around at this juncture.

As for the Brewers, they’ve previously been said to be among the most aggressive suitors, but right-hander Corbin Burnes, one of the Orioles’ targets, could prove to be a sticking point in those talks. Tom Haudircourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel took a lengthy look at the fit between the Brewers and Machado earlier today, calling him an “absolutely perfect” fit given the team’s deficiencies in the lineup — particularly at shortstop. Milwaukee, according to Haudricourt, still views struggling Orlando Arcia as its shortstop in 2019 and beyond, but Machado would give them a potentially overpowering top of the order, joining Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich, Jesus Aguilar, Travis Shaw and Eric Thames/Ryan Braun.

East News & Rumors: Yanks, Machado, Mets, Wheeler, Phillies, Eflin

By Connor Byrne | July 15, 2018 at 8:41am CDT

It appears the Yankees are falling out of contention for the Orioles’ Manny Machado. The Yanks aren’t willing to part with any of their 10 best prospects to acquire the superstar infielder, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Impressive rookies Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar are among that group, as are Estevan Florial, Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Albert Abreu and Tyler Wade, according to King. While New York’s not totally out on Machado yet, it’s unsurprisingly more focused on improving its rotation than upgrading its infield, King writes.

Latest On Manny Machado

By Kyle Downing | July 14, 2018 at 7:49pm CDT

As a whirlwind of rumors continues to surround Manny Machado, suitors for the All-Star seem to fall in and out of the mix by the day, and frontrunners seem to emerge and recede like horses at the racetrack. Last we heard earlier today, the Orioles were beginning to narrow their search, with the Phillies and Brewers among the finalists. But a flurry of whispers have given the situation a slightly different outlook over the past hour. Here’s what we’ve heard…

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that the Dodgers remain in the mix for Machado, while the Brewers and Phillies continue to be in “consistent contact” with the Orioles. The Yankees, however, reportedly seem “less involved”. Rosenthal notes that the situation is hardly predictable considering the politics of Baltimore’s front office at present. Last we heard, the Orioles were targeting Dustin May and Gavin Lux in talks with the Dodgers, neither of whom figured to be available.
Correspondingly, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports tweets that rival executives believe that the Dodgers will acquire Machado, though the wording of his tweet is somewhat confusing and leaves room for interpretation.
In talks with the Phillies, the Orioles showed some interest in recently-promoted starter Enyel De Los Santos, Jon Heyman of Fancred hears. Unsurprisingly, Philadelphia prefers not to include him (probably in part because he’s now contributing in the majors). Heyman quotes Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports as listing Adonis Medina, Jhailyn Ortiz, Ranger Suarez, Arquimedes Gamboa and Franklyn Kilome as other names of interest to the Orioles.
In a video for FOX Sports, Rosenthal says the Orioles would prefer to separate Machado and reliever Zach Britton in trade discussions, believing they can maximize their return by moving them in separate deals. That could be in part because the Astros (who are not likely suitors for Machado) have interest in Britton.

AL East Notes: Jones, Jays, Garcia, Red Sox

By Connor Byrne | July 14, 2018 at 2:00pm CDT

Given his status as a pending free agent, center fielder Adam Jones is an obvious trade candidate for an Orioles team with no hope of competing this season. However, as a 10-and-5 player (10 years of MLB service time, five in a row with the same team), Jones would be able to block a trade anywhere. The 32-year-old spoke about his future Friday, saying (via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) that “it’s my family’s decision.” Jones noted that back when he signed his $85.5MM extension with Baltimore in 2012, he was able to make the decision himself. But now that Jones has a family, they’ll have a major hand in how his career plays out going forward. Whether the Jones family will have to make a key choice on the player’s future in the next couple weeks will depend on if the Orioles find a taker for him via trade. So far, the O’s haven’t approached Jones about his 10-and-5 status, Kubatko reports.

Here’s more from the AL East:

Red Sox southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez left his start Saturday against Toronto after 5 1/3 scoreless innings with an apparent right knee injury, per Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com. That’s the same knee Rodriguez had surgery on last October, McAdam points out, making this a potentially worrisome situation for first-place Boston. So far this season, Rodriguez has helped form an excellent 1-2-3 atop the Red Sox’s rotation with Chris Sale and Rick Porcello, having logged a 3.44 ERA/3.56 FIP with 9.46 K/9 and 2.75 BB/9 in 104 2/3 innings. [Update: It’s a right ankle sprain, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic tweets. X-rays came back negative, but the Red Sox are continuing to evaluate Rodriguez.]
In further unfortunate news for the Red Sox’s staff, knuckleballer Steven Wright’s recovery from left knee inflammation is “taking longer than expected,” manager Alex Cora said Saturday (via Christopher Smith of MassLive.com). Wright, who went on the DL on June 26, is continuing to deal with soreness in that knee – which he had surgically repaired in May 2017. As a result, the Red Sox will have to continue awaiting his return. When healthy earlier this season, Wright notched 40 innings of 3.38 ERA ball and a 53.2 percent groundball rate, though he also posted underwhelming strikeout and walk rates (6.98 K/9, 4.5 BB/9).
Blue Jays lefty Jaime Garcia, out since June 23 with shoulder tenderness, is nearing activation from the DL, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com writes. He’ll work out of the bullpen upon his return, though, Chisholm adds. The demotion continues a disappointing 2018 for Garcia, whom the Jays signed to a one-year, $10MM contract over the winter. Long a solid back-end starter, the 32-year-old has put up a 6.16 ERA in 61 1/3 innings this season.
Back to Boston, which promoted veteran infielder Brandon Phillips from Low-A to Triple-A on Saturday, the Red Sox’s top affiliate in Pawtucket announced (h/t: Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic). The 37-year-old Phillips, who signed a minors deal on June 27, collected 26 PAs at the Low-A level. He’ll continue trying to work his way back to the majors and serve as a helpful second/third base piece for the Sox.

Indians Interested In Mychal Givens

By Connor Byrne | July 14, 2018 at 10:54am CDT

The Indians have shown interest in Orioles position players Manny Machado and Adam Jones leading up to this month’s non-waiver trade deadline. Orioles reliever Mychal Givens has also landed on the Indians’ radar, as Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets that the two teams “have discussed” the right-hander.

With Cleveland a near-lock to win the AL Central, it’s likely going to have to upgrade its bullpen in order to make some noise in the playoffs. While the Indians have been successful on the whole, their relievers rank last in the majors in ERA (5.39) and second last in fWAR (minus-1.2). Moreover, with both injured setup man Andrew Miller and closer Cody Allen set to hit free agency after the season, the Indians’ bullpen may be a major point of emphasis over the winter.

Acquiring Givens could give the Indians an immediate upgrade and a long-term solution in one fell swoop. The 28-year-old has been an effective reliever since debuting in 2015, and he’s controllable via arbitration through 2021. However, Givens – like the Indians’ relievers – has had difficulty preventing runs this year, having run up a 4.40 ERA in 47 innings after combining for a 2.75 mark in 183 1/3 frames from 2015-17. He’s also walking a career-worst 4.4 batters per nine, up from 3.29 over the previous three years, and has never generated many ground balls (38.7 percent).

To the hard-throwing Givens’ credit, he has collected 10.53 strikeouts per nine this year (close to his 10.82 career figure) and logged a 2.73 FIP. Givens has also encountered some poor fortune in 2018, it seems, as his batting average on balls in play (.347) is well above the .279 mark hitters posted against him from 2015-17. That bloated BABIP has hardly come as a result of hitters scorching the ball against Givens. To the contrary, he ranks 18th in the majors in average exit velocity against (85.6 mph) and has put up a .286 xwOBA against, beating out the .301 real wOBA hitters have recorded when facing him.

Not only does Givens continue to look like a quality reliever, then, but with the O’s way out of contention, he’s a logical trade candidate. However, it’s far from certain Givens will leave Baltimore in the coming weeks. In fact, the Orioles are “extremely reluctant” to trade Givens, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.

Trade Notes: Machado, Braves, Shark, Yanks, Andujar, Rangers, Cards

By Connor Byrne | July 14, 2018 at 10:24am CDT

The Braves have reportedly made an offer for Orioles superstar Manny Machado, but it doesn’t appear the shortstop will end up in Atlanta prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The Braves “are strictly on the fringes” of the Machado sweepstakes, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, who adds that they’re more concerned about upgrading their rotation.

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