By Sam Bush
It’s no secret that 25-year-old Orioles shortstop Manny Machado is on the trading block and will be a free agent after the 2018 season.
And the Phillies have made no secret that they covet him
The Phillies have played their way into being buyers, and are now 47-37, 10 games over .500 and just 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Braves in the National League East.
“They’re a good ballclub. They’re young, they’re hungry, they want to win,” Machado said of the Phillies. “They’ve been impressive.”
“I know how [Phillies president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail] works,” Machado said. “I’ve seen those guys work, and they’ve turned this organization around.”
Machado is in the middle of the best season of his career, statistically speaking. He entered Wednesday’s game with a .311/.378/.565 slash line, is on pace for a career-high in homers and is the American League’s leader at shortstop in All-Star voting.
Machado went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk as the Orioles opened a two-game set at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night. There were even a few, faint “We want Manny!” chants in the stands. It’s a sentiment shared by a lot of fan bases and front offices right now.
“Do I want to play for a contending team? Yeah. Do I want to go to the playoffs? Yeah. Do I want to win a ring? Of course I do,” Machado said.
