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Dodgers offer up their best for Manny Machado; O’s turn them down

By Sarah Maninger

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 05: Manny Machado #13 is congratulated by Adam Jones #10 of the Baltimore Orioles after hitting a three-run homerun during the fifth inning of a baseball game while Yasmani Grandal #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on at Dodger Stadium on July 5, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 05: Manny Machado #13 is congratulated by Adam Jones #10 of the Baltimore Orioles after hitting a three-run homerun during the fifth inning of a baseball game while Yasmani Grandal #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on at Dodger Stadium on July 5, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Thursday morning, it was reported that the Dodgers have offered up two of their top prospects for Machado, but the Baltimore Orioles want more.

As reported by DodgerBlue on Thursday, the Dodgers have revealed their initial offer for O’s slugger, Manny Machado. I wrote the other day that I didn’t think the Dodgers would trade Walker Buehler or Alex Verdugo; well, I was half wrong.

President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi have offered to trade Alex Verdugo, the team’s top outfield prospect, and RHP Yadier Alvarez, who ranks 8th in the Dodgers’ farm system, to the O’s. Starling Heredia was also reportedly included in the trade package.

The Orioles, it seems, have turned that offer down.  If they hadn’t, Manny Machado would be on a plane to Los Angeles and the biggest trade of the season would be behind us.

As much as I want the Dodgers to acquire Machado, I am not surprised the O’s turned this offer down. Even if the club who acquires him only gets three months of playing time out of the slugger, it’s enough to warrant a few more prospects.

Add in, say, Jordan Sheffield, Cristian Santana or Caleb Ferguson, however, and the O’s would have some decisions to make.

The question, as things stand now, isn’t if the Orioles are going to trade Machado; their 24-61 record virtually guarantees that they will. The question, rather, is how bad the Dodgers need him, and how much they are willing to spend in order to keep him from landing with their rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

If the only other legitimate trade candidate for Machado was any team in the American League, I wouldn’t worry. That’s not the case, though. The D-Backs need Machado and are one of the teams hoping to land him. If they do, the Dodgers may need to trade for a big name in order to keep pace.

The Dodgers have the prospects to trade for any big name that hits the market in the coming weeks. So who do the Dodgers need, if not Machado?

They could trade for Jacob deGrom, or Michael Fulmer, or Zach Britton. They could trade for an elite starter, a strong set-up guy, or they could trade for Manny Machado, the power bat they desperately need.

No matter what, the front office is bound to make some moves, and soon. The trade deadline is in 26 days. That’s 26 days for LA to keep one eye on its team and one eye on the other 29.

Next: Dodgers; 6 Breakout Stars of the Last 6 Seasons

It’s 26 days for the Dodgers to get on the path they were always meant to be on.

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