Report: Padres have done 'due diligence' regarding Machado

The San Diego Padres, Major League Baseball's resident agent of chaos, may be entering the Manny Machado sweepstakes as an extreme dark-horse candidate.

The Padres have reportedly been in contact with the Baltimore Orioles about the possibility of acquiring the superstar infielder, though it's being described more as performing their "due diligence," a source tells FRS Baseball's Jon Heyman.

Though the Padres currently sit in the NL West basement with a record of 34-42, they are only 7 1/2 games back of the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks. Still, reaching contention will be an uphill battle. Padres general manager A.J. Preller hasn't shied away from blockbuster deals in the past, though, and he inked first baseman Eric Hosmer to an eight-year, $144-million contract over the offseason.

San Diego has the young talent to make an enticing offer, with seven players in the farm system among the top 100 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. Machado is set to hit free agency following the season, so the Padres don't seem like a good fit if they drift further out of the playoff race ahead of the trade deadline.