The Manny Machado sweepstakes hits the home stretch

So we've reached July 8 with the non-waiver trade deadline coming at the end of this month. Shortstop Manny Machado is still an Oriole, but it will be a big surprise if that holds true as the calendar turns to August.

My colleague, Roch Kubatko, wrote an entry last night, citing a source that sized up for him the interest in Machado. He wrote: "The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Phillies, Braves and Cubs are, in that order, the most aggressive teams in talks, according to the source. And there isn't much of a gap. Several other clubs have checked in and the Indians made an offer, but other suitors are 'more active,' per the source."

All of those clubs are obviously National League clubs, save for Cleveland, and the Yankees and Red Sox at the moment don't seem to be in on Machado. But you can never put anything past those teams when it comes to the trade deadline, especially when they are competing directly with each other for one division championship. The American League East second-place finisher runs the risk of being one and done in the postseason - possibly after a 100-win year.

I've always felt the Orioles should be very open to trading with Boston and/or New York if one of those clubs provides the best package coming back. But when it comes to Machado, they are on the sideline right now.

What could the Orioles expect to get back for Machado? You have to wonder what a rental would bring, even one this good. Maybe more than we think. This player could be the deciding factor in any division race and/or carry a team in October. As teams begin to fight more over him and the deadline draws closer, some club might blink and make a larger than expected offer.

But what would that be? Could the Orioles get at least one top 50 or top 100 prospect? Could they get two? The club still is in search of young and controllable pitching and middle infield and/or left side infielders. The organization is certainly not overflowing with infield prospects right now.

The next three weeks-plus could be incredibly active for the Orioles. In my opinion, they have to be open all possibilities, including no untouchables and making anyone available for the right price. Packaging players that are under control for next year or more will only bring a bigger return. There is, of course, also the possibility of packaging any of the four pending free agents, with Zach Britton, Brad Brach and Adam Jones joining Machado in that group. At the same time, the club is trying to hang onto all the young talent it can get its hands on to build for hopefully a better future.

As the Manny sweepstakes hit the homestretch the Orioles will be more interesting off than on the field this month. They are now a staggering 40 games under .500. They are 1-20 in their last 21 games versus AL clubs. This season is a disaster and now it's time for the team's management to make moves designed for a better future and to ensure that their loyal fan base never has to go through anything like this season again.

Radio day: Later today on the O's Baltimore flagship radio station, I'll host "Orioles Baseball Tonight" (the daytime version) at 1 p.m. on 105.7 The Fan. But before that, I'll host an hour of calls on the Orioles. So tune in and call in today between noon and 1 p.m. If not in the listening area, click here to listen in live.