The Manny Machado trade rumors have reached the point where it seems like a deal could be imminent. “Any day now” your mind says as the Brewers starting replying to Baltimore’s requests with concrete offers. “This could happen before the weekend” you anticipate as reporters indicated he could be traded to a team within the division and a deal might even happen soon.
The Orioles won’t trade Manny Machado before the All-Star Game
It would be dumb for Baltimore, and bad for the league.
Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
But it won’t, so it’s okay for everyone to settle down for now and tuck ourselves in to a comfy blanket of Machado rumors and enjoy baseball’s break. Why is it such a sure thing that Machado will be in black and orange until at least the middle of next week? A few reasons, all equally likely to keep him in Baltimore for a few more days by themselves and collectively making it a lock.
Manny Machado would be upset
Machado, who has no control over which team he ends up with for the last three months of the season, does have control over this. He was voted in as the starting shortstop for the American League, and is excited about it. He clearly wants to play — something a potential trade to a National League team (as seems likely) would put a wrench in.
“Obviously I wanted to be an All-Star, but to get the privilege to start the game and get voted by the fans, obviously takes it above and beyond ... To be starting, truly humbled and, again, I just want to thank the fans for voting and for making this all come true.”
Hopefully I’ll put on that jersey and if not, I’m always going to be grateful no matter what.”
That doesn’t sound like someone who would be completely fine and not at all pissed at his former team if they jeopardized him getting to play. It’s magnanimous, but direct. He wants to be there, and the Orioles would be pretty heartless to trade him beforehand when the same deal will almost certainly be available a week from now.
MLB would be upset
If Machado gets traded to a National League team, where the most legitimate suitors have been, he either wouldn’t get to play at all or would still be on the American League team but just without an Orioles hat on his head. Either way would be a huge headache for the league.
As Ken Rosenthal notes in his recent column on the topic, there are a few options the league could opt for but not without complications. Either he plays for the National League team — which would muck up CBA-related voting and injury replacement guidelines as well as All-Star bonus money each winning player receives — or he plays for the American League team anyway even though all the fans know he’s already gone, and he has to try to win a game against his old league days after being traded away from it.
Manny Machado Trade Rumors
- Machado and the Dodgers aren’t quite a fit
- Milwaukee makes the most sense for a Machado trade right now
- The Phillies have Machado at the top of their list
- Oh goody, the Yankees are involved now
An incredibly awkward option everywhere you look. While there hasn’t been public confirmation of this (and certainly won’t be unless the league wants to look like they’re tampering in the trade deadline), there’s a solid chance Rob Manfred or one of his underlings has made the frustrations a pre-All-Star Break trade would cause expressly clear to the Orioles and encouraged them not to push anything through right now.
This is all the Orioles and their fans have to look forward to
Baltimore is 26-66 right now. They have the worst record in the entire league. Worse than the Royals! It’s a disaster, and somehow it just keeps getting worse. Kind of hard to watch at this point, to be honest.
They and their fans know that Machado is heading out of town in short order. So watching him represent the team one more time by starting the All-Star Game in their logo, and participating in all the attendant events that go with All-Star Weekend, will be one last time to enjoy this young star out there heralding their team.
Looking at the Orioles’ near future, the team taking this opportunity away from not only their own player but masses of fans who love him simply doesn’t make sense. Especially considering the All-Star Game is being held in a location a stone’s throw from Camden Yards. The Brewers, Dodgers, Phillies, or Diamondbacks will be able to wait a few more days. Life won’t end if they don’t get Machado for two games pre-break.
Machado is being traded, but it’s not happening before all of baseball unites in DC and celebrates the game. With him wearing Orioles gear one last time.
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