2018 Trade Deadline rumors/speculation

[tom81]

To quote Monty Python, “I’m not dead yet.”

https://mobile.twitter.com/ScottLauber/status/1019256127937241089

@ScottLauber
Nothing done yet, of course, but hearing #Phillies remain “aggressively motivated” in Machado talks, according to a source. Internally, confidence remains high that they can land him.

I’m guessing that the Phillies had upped their offer to include Medina but not the second “top level pitching prospect” the O’s have said they want. LA’s recent offer probably tops the last one by the Phillies but the game isn’t over yet. I think if the Phillies counter with Medina and De Los Santos they top the current Dodger offer. But what do I know

[zambonir]

Pretty old tweet tho, compared to other reports.

[Patchmk88]

Exactly. Most other reports have said that teams involved have come ton the conclusion that he’ll be a Dodger.

[zambonir]

I want to get him, but where do you draw the line attempting to outbid a team with very different short and long term needs? “Aggressively motivated” only goes so far,

[Patchmk88]

I mean personally I don’t think he is worth what we reportedly offered without him signing an extension, so if the Dodgers offered better i’d definitely bow out. Doesn’t mean that I as a fan am not disappointed with the outcome though. As I have mentioned before, I believe Manny was the only real difference maker on the market for us.

[andyb]

Grullon is all of 22 at Reading, with a .822 OPS and H/A splits of .800/.844, so he's not benefiting from the Reading park. Combine that with above average defense and you have one of the best catching prospects in baseball.

Grullon is a prospect. Doubt he is one of the "best" in baseball. Top 50 catching prospect in baseball but that is probably it. He IS helped by the Reading park. Whatever stats he gets at home are in that park. He probably is just playing better in the road subsamples. He is decent defensively. Offensively the K/BB ratio is not great and that is part of his profile. His tools are also more limited than most of the top prospects. Bossart is a nice journeyman and that is it. Just does not have the tools one looks for in the majors. The fact that the Phillies have never thought he is more than a backup at any stop is kind of an indication of how they feel about him.

[tom81]

I still think the Phillies are in the game for Machado and reading Stark’s article today in the Athetic gives me more reason to think so. I just believe that Middleton wants him too badly and believes getting him now and having him comfortable with his new environment will let him accept the highest offer he will get in the offseason which will come from Middleton.

From Stark’s article.
“I’d like to stay at home,” he said at one point Monday, still wearing a uniform that had “BALTIMORE” stitched across his chest. “I’d like to be with the organization I’ve been with and not have to learn any new faces or learn any new names. I’m not good with names. So that would be nice….

“But at the same time,” he said, knowingly, “we’ve got to be realistic.”

And Manny the realist knows the deal.

Wherever he goes next, wherever the Orioles finally strike a deal, there will be no windows opening. There will be no negotiating. So let’s get that part out of the way. Manny Machado will be testing free agency, even if the team that trades for him goes 62-4 and then spends its October winning the World Series.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t be paying attention to everything around him once he arrives at his next destination. And on Monday, he went so far as to say that the team that trades for him would have a clear advantage once his free agency rolls around.

“You know what?” he said “That definitely would be an interesting thing because I’d have, firsthand, a chance to see the organization, see what happens, see if I like the city. They’d have the upper hand for sure.”

[Austinfan]

What do you want him to say, go overpay for me and screw yourself?
He wants to go to a team that wants to win this year, no matter the long-term impact, because he can go elsewhere next year.

If Middleton forces Klentak to overpay, the Phillies are screwed - because it's one thing to overpay his money in free agency, quite another to overpay team assets so he can inflate his self-importance. If he's willing to pay the luxury tax (and can get his fellow owners to go along), it's his money. But overpaying in assets sets a precedent that will make it hard for Klentak to deal in the future.

[tom81]

But overpaying in assets sets a precedent that will make it hard for Klentak to deal in the future.

Yes somewhat, but how many future circumstances will match these? A young, potentially generational player, at a position/s of need, available in a pennant race in a weak league?

[Austinfan]

I wouldn't call Machado "generational" until he has a few seasons like Trout.
Trout is generational, Machado is very good.

[zambonir]

He is pretty generational though. Trout won't be nearly as young when he finally hits FA.

I agree that Machado's comments (which were in several other articles too) make it sound like he isn't interested in changing teams a second time, if he feels comfortable where he is and they want him. But you still can't over-overpay just because of that. The Dodgers can afford to overpay merely for a rental.

I mean, how far would you go? Two of our top 5? Three of our Top 10? That's too high if you don't get to keep him. The four-person package yesterday only made sense to me if it included Britton.

Asked whether he preferred to go to a particular team, Machado said, “Honestly, I have no idea. It doesn’t matter. I can’t control it.”

He also downplayed any significance to “liking” an Instagram photo of himself wearing a superimposed Yankees jersey, claiming that he has liked similar likenesses in other teams’ uniforms.

“To go out there and not know where you’re going to be tomorrow, it’s kind of tough,” Machado said. “A lot of packing, a lot of cars shipped. I’ve got a lot of clothes in my locker and in my room. I’d like to stay at home. I’d like to be with the organization that I’ve been with, not learning new faces, not learning new names. I’m not good with names.”

In that case, the Phillies would represent the easiest transition. Machado was teammates with starter Jake Arrieta and reliever Tommy Hunter in Baltimore. Several members of the Phillies’ front office — including president Andy MacPhail, general manager Matt Klentak, and director of player personnel Joe Jordan — worked for the Orioles when Machado was drafted third overall in 2010.

“We go way back,” Machado said. “Joe was one of the guys that drafted me, and Andy was there when I signed, as well. Kind of got a decent relationship with them.”

Manny Machado deals with life as a human trade rumor as Phillies, others make...

[Dirk41]

Donaldson in a August could be a savvy and impactful add for very little. Just want the team to remain focused on the plan.

[Squire]

Kilome, Jake Thompson and Darick Hall for Nick Castellanos.....who says No?

[andyb]

Rosenthal just said pretty definitively that it will be the Dodgers for Machado on the ASG telecast.

[flyers19rw]

Detroit would probably say no to that offer. They had Thompson once already and were willing to deal him so they're probably not sold on him. Different players offered and a willingness to take on a bad contract from the Tigers might get some attention.

[zambonir]

He's gotta cost more than that as a non-rental. Kilome could be in there but figure at least 1 Top 10 guy and another Top 20 guy. Thompson is nothing.

[Patchmk88]

According Nightengale the Brewers had the 2nd best offer. I’m curious what the final deal from the Dodgers will include.

[zambonir]

I think it's safe to say the Lauber info is wishful thinking/PR from the Phillies. I'd say that I hope I'm wrong, and certainly Nightengale could be wrong, but it just doesn't make sense for them to try and outbid two teams who are much more all-in this season. The Dodgers are desperate to win the World Series. The Brewers are desperate to win their division. The Phillies want to win the division, and they want to get Machado here for years to come, but it's not the same level of desperation, because they didn't lose the World Series last year, and they aren't in the same division as the Cubs.

There are two more days for this to play out, however. Nobody plays again until Friday. Ironically, the Dodgers next two opponents are the Brewers and the Phillies.

[tom81]

I still think the Phillies are in the game for Machado and reading Stark’s article today in the Athetic gives me more reason to think so. I just believe that Middleton wants him too badly and believes getting him now and having him comfortable with his new environment will let him accept the highest offer he will get in the offseason which will come from Middleton

Just because I think the Phillies are going to up their offer for Machado doesn’t mean that I think they should do so. I would much rather they overspend on the Red’s Suarez, who may not be available, than Machado, since Suarez is also young and under control for a lot of years.

[andyb]

If they do lose Machado it will be interesting to see how the team reacts. I don't think Moustakas moves the needle in the same way (and Franco is playing as well as he is now). Donaldson is certainly intriguing. I think I would expect a deal for a LH reliever first. I guess Happ is the other big rumor out there but I think they do a reliever move first. And maybe take 2 weeks to decide about Franco or Kingery.