Losing out to Los Angeles on two superstars in two months will be tough for Philly fans to take, but momentum now appears to be on the Dodgers' side in acquiring Manny Machado.
Barring a last-minute change, the Orioles are expected to trade Machado to the Dodgers on Wednesday, according to a report Tuesday by Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports.
As our Jim Salisbury has reported, the Phillies have been awaiting an answer from the Orioles. They've been aggressive in pursuing Machado, but the Dodgers just have a prospect group that is perceived to be better.
Fancred's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that Dodgers top prospect Yusniel Diaz, an outfielder, is part of their offer for Machado. Diaz was ranked by Baseball America as the 51st-best prospect in the game. He was a $15.5 million international free-agent signee out of Cuba in 2015.
Machado makes every bit as much sense for the Dodgers as he does the Phillies. The Dodgers are in clear win-now mode and their window won't remain open forever. Corey Seager, their superstar shortstop, is out for the season with an elbow injury. After a slow start, L.A. has caught fire and leads the NL West by a half-game over the Diamondbacks, two games over the Rockies and four over the Giants.
Acquiring Machado would be a clear separator for the Dodgers, not only in their division race but in the playoffs. It would make them the NL favorite after a World Series loss a year ago.
Obviously, this could be a ploy by the Orioles to get the Phillies to increase their offer. As Salisbury first reported, the Phils are willing to include No. 2 prospect Adonis Medina.
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But the O's are in a position where they need to feel like they've won the trade. They waited way too long to break up their core and face a painful near future because of it. They have a weak farm system that needs to be bolstered in the trade of their best asset, Machado.
And while the Phillies do have depth in terms of talented young pitchers, Baltimore could see a higher ceiling with a player like Diaz. Quantity vs. quality is always a topic when it comes to midseason trades and teams often veer toward the higher-quality package.
This isn't over yet though, folks. These trade talks are extremely fluid and the Phillies have the clear desire to land the trade deadline's biggest fish.