Cleveland Indians Rumors: Update on the Machado trade talks

We previously mentioned that during this offseason, the Cleveland Indians were in discussions with the Baltimore Orioles for star third baseman Manny Machado.

The original trade talks happened much earlier in the offseason, according to reports. But the talks have not died, at least that’s what Dan Clark is saying.

When we first mentioned the Indians interest in Machado, we said a deal was not close, but that you never know when a deal can come together. And sure enough, talks have picked back up. A deal still is not imminent, but talks have not died completely.

The Cleveland Indians are a very odd fit for Machado. He’s stated his desire to play shortstop this season, but franchise cornerstone Francisco Lindor is already occupying that spot. Machado could stay at third base, where he would force Jose Ramirez off the position. So either Ramirez or Jason Kipnis are going to be put in different positions should a deal come to fruition.

Is Machado worth trading for?

After losing two big bats in Carlos Santana and Jay Bruce this offseason, the Tribe would surely welcome the addition of Machado. Machado has hit 30-plus homers each of the past three years and has a career .279 batting average.

Machado has also won two Gold Gloves and finished in the top-10 in MVP voting three times.

The price tag on Machado is still going to be quite high. Everyone knows he would be a pure rental if he traded anywhere. But a deal with Cleveland would guarantee that status. There really isn’t enough money available for the Indians to sign him to a long term contract. Plus, he really wants to move to shortstop, and that will not happen as long as Lindor is here. And Lindor figures to be with the Cleveland Indians for a very long time.

The Indians will need to be comfortable paying a high price to acquire a player that they know is not going to return for 2019. It’s still unlikely a deal comes together, but the Tribe is still interested in acquiring Machado. They’ve talked this past week, and likely are continuing to talk this week and through Spring Training. This will happen until either Machado is dealt, or they decide they can’t find a deal that works for both sides.

Next: Breaking down offseason trade rumors

Discussions like these happen all the time, but with such a high profile player in Machado, these updates are more newsworthy than talks about other players.