Baltimore Orioles Rumors: Diamondbacks are interested in Machado

The list of teams that are interested in the Baltimore Orioles third baseman continues to grow.

The newest team that is rumored to be interested in Baltimore Orioles Manny Machado is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Buster Olney with ESPN reported this latest rumor. He shared that the owner, Peter Angelos, would have to approve the deal and that the “sophisticated fans” are aware that trading Machado would net pitching in return.

What the D-Back have

The Diamondbacks had a fantastic 2017 season, defeating the Colorado Rockies in the NL Wild Card Game. After that win, they lost the NL Division Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many expected that the D-Backs would be good in 2017, but they surpassed all expectations.

The Diamondbacks actually have a strong third baseman in Jake Lamb. He is a left-handed batter who hit 30 home runs and batted .248/.357/.487. If the D-Backs traded for Machado, he would most likely be placed at shortstop instead of Ketel Marte who only played 77 games in 2017.

Machado would make the infield in Arizona quite formidable. Their first baseman is Paul Goldschmidt, who perennially wins awards for his hitting and fielding. Second base is manned by Brandon Drury, who is the weakest of the infield position players. He finished 2017 with a WAR of 1.6. Along with Marte or Lamb, Machado would be in good company.

Why this trade seems odd

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This trade rumor seems a bit unusual for two reasons. The first is that the Diamondbacks do not seem to be ready, willing, and able to sign J.D. Martinez. The second is that the Diamondbacks are rumored to be looking for trade partners for Zack Greinke. Machado isn’t going to be cheap and the D-Backs don’t seem like the team that would pay big bucks or make a big trade to get him.

Trade idea for a pitcher

An interesting proposition for the Orioles would be a trade involving Jake Lamb and a pitcher. The Orioles would need a third baseman and Lamb would fill in nicely. While Greinke would be a grand surprise, his $30+ million per year is exactly what the Orioles are looking to avoid with Machado.

There are plenty of young arms in the D-Backs dugout. Either Robbie Ray or Patrick Corbin would be nice options for the Orioles. Both are under team control and both happen to be lefties. Corbin had the highest ERA of the D-Backs rotation with 4.03. Ray had the lowest at 2.89.

Next: Could Machado go to the Cubs?

A trade with the D-Backs would be fun to watch and Machado would most likely fit in nicely with the young, aggressive team. The manager, Torey Luvollo, was just named the NL Manager of the Year, so Machado would be in good hands if he were sent to the desert.