Some time in the next 25 days, the Orioles will make the Manny Machado trade that will hopefully alter the future trajectory of the franchise for the better. Their place in the standings dictates this certainty, with only an unfortunate injury or catastrophic front office paralysis able to stop it.
Where the Orioles end up trading Machado is something that will be determined by what team, in their judgment, ends up offering them the best package of players in return. Whichever team ends up getting Machado, one constant about such a trade will remain true: The Orioles are going to get some players who Orioles fans have probably never heard of and almost certainly have never seen play professional baseball before.