The Baltimore Orioles plan to remove Manny Machado from the trade block if offers for the star third baseman don't improve by Thursday, according to general manager Dan Duquette.
Machado has been the focus of widespread trade speculation since baseball's winter meetings last week, but Duquette told MASN Sports on Wednesday that he is "not sure we're going to focus on that much more after tomorrow."
Duquette confirmed a report earlier Wednesday by FanRag Sports, which reported that the Orioles are dissatisfied with the trade offers they have received for Machado.
According to multiple reports, the Orioles have received inquiries from several teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants.
But according to FanRag Sports, none of those teams proposed an offer that the Orioles -- who are seeking young talent and who want to bolster their rotation with major-league-ready pitching -- see as fair.
Machado is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2018 season and is expected to command a lucrative, long-term deal on the open market. Duquette said at the winter meetings that offering any potential trade partner a window to negotiate a long-term deal with Machado is not a "viable option."
Machado, 25, is a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner who has hit more than 30 home runs in each of the past three seasons. He batted a career-low .259 last season but finished with 33 homers and 95 RBIs.