White Sox pursuit of Orioles current third baseman gets some company as another team is rumored to also be interested in acquiring the All-Star infielder.
The Chicago White Sox made news this past week with their rumored trade interest in Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado. Although the Sox aren’t expected to contend in 2018, the team is surprisingly targeting a player who could be very popular next offseason as a free agent.
Many Sox fans don’t want the team to trade any top prospects for the All-Star third baseman. After the initial rumor of the Sox submitting a trade offer for Machado, there was another rumor that suggested the team didn’t offer any top prospects for a potential trade with Baltimore. However, they’re still being linked to showing trade interest in Machado and now another team is rumored to also have interest in the young infielder.
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According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Arizona Diamondbacks have recently shown the most interest in acquiring Machado along with the Sox. Machado is set to become a free agent next offseason, and any team that acquires him for next season will most likely be getting a rental. The 25-year-old is expected to taste free agency for the first time in his career.
The Sox will have plenty of money to spend next offseason and could target signing Machado to a lucrative long-term contract. However, the Sox will be competing against many teams next offseason in the hopes of signing Machado. The New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers could target signing Machado next offseason.
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For the Sox, they could hope Machado is intrigued by their young talent and wants to join a team that could contend for many years after 2018. If the Sox were to acquire Machado for next season, they would have a slight advantage over other interested teams going into the offseason. Sox general manager Rick Hahn isn’t going to trade any of team’s top prospects for Machado. But expect this team to aggressively pursue him next year if he becomes a free agent.