MLB trade rumors have taken an interesting turn. A Manny Machado trade to the Chicago Cubs is gaining traction on the sports shows. Thursday (May 17) on ESPN, baseball analyst Buster Olney spoke about how close the Baltimore Orioles are to trading their best player. He is very confident that Machado is going to be dealt before the MLB trade deadline hits this July. While several teams were brought up in the discussion, he is most confident about Machado going to the Cubs.

What do Orioles want in Machado trade?

Trading Manny Machado is going to be a very frustrating endeavor for fans of the Baltimore Orioles.

It is for this reason that the team has to make sure it gets significant assets in return for him. The current asking price, according to the May 17 episode of "SportsCenter," is two top pitching prospects. This immediately rules out a number of teams, as not every franchise has a lot of pitching depth residing in the minor leagues.

There are definitely teams that could benefit a lot from acquiring a player like Machado, including the Seattle Mariners, especially after losing second baseman Robinson Cano to an 80-game suspension. The team just doesn't have the assets to make the deal, even though it would improve them a lot to have Machado at shortstop and slide Jean Segura to second base for a while.

Another team that keeps coming up is the New York Yankees. The Yankees are typically involved in big deals like this one could be, with the acquisition of Alex Rodriguez mirroring it quite well. It is unclear whether the Yankees are ready to go all-in on the season, though, which is what it would take to rent Machado for a few months.

Machado is a free agent at the end of the 2018 MLB season, which is also the primary reason that the Orioles are actually looking to trade him.

Cubs ready to make a deal yet?

The Chicago Cubs are 22-18 and are currently fourth place in the National League Central. This is one of the reasons that many baseball analysts feel that the team is getting ready to make a move.

Maybe several moves could be coming. As for the latest MLB trade rumors about working out a deal with the Baltimore Orioles, Manny Machado would certainly give the offense a huge boost. But would it allow the team to overcome the struggles that the rotation has gone through this year?

Any deal the Cubs put on the table will likely have to include Adbert Alzolay. The top-ranked prospect in their system is pitching for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, with a 4.10 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over five starts this season. This is his first year at the level, after posting a combined 2.99 ERA and 1.10 WHIP during the 2017 minor league season.

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