Nelson Cruz on the 2018 Orioles and more from the All-Star Game

WASHINGTON - Former Oriole Nelson Cruz is not getting older, he's getting better. OK, well, he actually is getting older, but at 38 he is an All-Star for the sixth time, and he's having another strong season.

He's batting .267/.363/.538 in 81 games for Seattle with 22 homers and 55 RBIs. He hit 40 homers and drove in 108 in his one year as an Oriole, helping the team to 96 wins and an American League East division championship in 2014.

That winter the Orioles offered him a three-year deal to re-sign. Seattle offered four years at $57 million and Cruz headed west. Some doubted he'd hit well through the length of this contract. But he has and then some. His OPS in 2014 with Baltimore was .859. In his four years in Seattle he's posted OPS numbers of .936, .915, .924 and currently .902.

He's just not slowing down very much.

"As a player we understand you have to be on top of your game every year," he said Monday at Nationals Park. "There will always be doubters. I understand that is part of the process when you get older. But I always prepare myself well and always give it my best."

And he has always maintained strong friendships in the Orioles clubhouse, where he was close to many players. He took young players including Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop under his wing, and they could not have found a better mentor and friend.

Cruz is sorry to see his former teammates in Baltimore at the bottom of the standings.

"They're friends," he said. "You always want the best for your friends. A tough situation, not just for the players but the fans. They have great fans there. I hope they can turn it around. It may take a while, but they'll figure it out again."

Cruz is still there for Machado whenever he needs him, and while there was a group of reporters around Cruz yesterday during an interview session, it was nothing like the mob scene around Machado.

"He's been dealing with this pretty good. He's put up numbers like expected. He's been a professional in dealing with the media and all the distractions. We talk about twice a week and keep in touch. I'm really proud the way he's handled everything," Cruz said.

More Markakis: The Atlanta Braves, not the Orioles, signed him as a free agent to a four-year deal in December of 2014. And in the final year of the contract, outfielder Nick Markakis is having one special season. The former Oriole is batting .323/.389/.488 with 29 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, 61 RBIs and with an .877 OPS for the contending Braves.

Yesterday Markakis held court during All-Star game media day, soaking in the moment and surrounded by his three young sons, Taylor, Tucker and Toby.

Their dad, at age 34, may be having his best season yet. So just how did Markakis pull that off?

"You know, you grow as a hitter every year," he said, also citing improved health. "You learn. The biggest takeaway from this year is my timing. When you are up there and don't have your timing, it is frustrating. Hitting is the one of the hardest things to do in sports. Did a lot of video work and studied a lot this year. Watched previous at-bats and how pitchers pitch you. I think a lot of pre-work before the games has helped me out too."

At his first All-Star game, Markakis was asked, if he could make only one, would he want it to happen earlier in his career or later?

"Now. Because of my kids. I'll always remember it, but if I was there by myself, I'd only remember it for myself. To have these guys here means the world to me. I'm more excited for them than myself," Markakis said.

A free agent this winter, Markakis said he wants to continue to play several more seasons. It would be pretty interesting and maybe even quite surprising if the Orioles actually had some interest in a reunion with Markakis, who makes Baltimore his home. I asked him, if the O's came calling, would he be interested?

"I haven't looked that far into it. When that time approaches, we'll deal with it. I'm a Brave right now, and currently we're sitting 10 games over .500 and a half-game out of first, and that is where my focus is right now. Going to do all I can to try and make our team better," he said.

Hall is hot on the mound: The Orioles 2017 first-round draft pick, Georgia prep lefty DL Hall, won his second straight South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week award for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds yesterday. Then he went out last night and pitched another gem.

Hall got the victory as Delmarva beat West Virginia 4-1. He went six innings, allowing three hits and one run with three walks and 10 strikeouts. In 16 games on the year and 14 starts, Hall is 2-5 with a 2.44 ERA.

Hall has allowed just two earned runs his last 32 2/3 innings for a 0.55 ERA in that seven-start stretch. Over his past four starts he has posted these numbers: 21 2/3 innings, eight hits, one earned run, nine walks and 28 strikeouts. That is a 0.42 ERA.

The Orioles have limited the 19-year-old Hall to 66 1/3 innings for the year. But they want him to pitch through the full minor league season, and he'll be able to ramp up his innings more next season.

Hall is having one impressive first full year of pro ball. When I asked Baseball America's J.J. Cooper at the Futures Game which O's prospect would be the next to break into the top 100 prospects list, he said Hall.

Manny's farewell?: It sure appears there is a very good chance that tonight's All-Star game will be Manny Machado's last game of any kind representing the Orioles. A trade may be imminent. It has sure been a long goodbye, and everyone has to be tiring of the rumors and speculation by now.

The sooner the Orioles can make that move, the better. It's time for Machado to find out where he's headed and for the Orioles to start the rebuilding in earnest. A Machado trade will likely be just the start.