Baltimore Orioles vs Chicago White Sox: 3 takeaways

(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Orioles
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 21: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles is greeted by teammates after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning on May 21, 2018 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /

The Orioles will have several pieces of trade bait this summer

The Birds won’t contend for a playoff spot this year, but they do have enough intriguing pieces to drastically improve their farm system ahead of this summer’s trade deadline. A few of those players were rock-solid in the Windy City, a positive sign for a weary fan base.

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Manny Machado remains the crown jewel of the Orioles organization. The superstar collected four hits against the White Sox, bringing his season slash line to an eye-catching .335/.409/.634. Most contending teams are already set at shortstop, but given his tantalizing talent, there’s a good chance that some club will pony up.

Machado is an obvious trade candidate, but what about the bullpen? Brad Brach had a good outing against the White Sox on Monday, striking out the side in the ninth to collect his seventh save of the year. After a rough start to the season, he hasn’t given up an earned run since May 1, sending his trade stock through the roof.

Mychal Givens saw more mixed results, but he did toss a pair of scoreless frames on Monday. Hard-throwing relievers who can dominate the middle innings are always in demand, and the Tampa native fits that profile to a T.

The list doesn’t stop there — players like Adam Jones, Jonathan Schoop and Andrew Cashner could also be flipped, depending on how the season plays out. The Orioles front office may be reluctant to rebuild, but at least they’ll have options once the market heats up.

Next: The top 5 strikeout pitchers in Orioles history

What was your biggest takeaway from the White Sox series? Let us know on social media, and keep it here at Birds Watcher for more Baltimore Orioles news and analysis.