Report: Phillies join Dodgers as most aggressive suitors for Machado

Manny Machado is poised to be the most sought-after player ahead of baseball's July 31 trade deadline, and teams have reportedly already been in contact with the Baltimore Orioles about his services.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers have been the most aggressive suitors in the pursuit of Machado, a source tells Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports.

This comes a day after a report saying the Dodgers are the clear favorites to land the slugging infielder.

The Phillies have also been linked to Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre of late and appear set on improving the left side of their infield prior to the season's home stretch. Their front office includes former Orioles executives who are keen on Machado.

Philadelphia is also apparently open to dealing top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez.

That doesn't mean other teams are being left out in the cold, however, as Heyman adds both the Arizona Diamondbacks and perhaps the Chicago Cubs are in on Machado as well.

One hitch will be Machado's free-agent status at season's end and the uncertainty surrounding where he'll play in 2019. He very well could be a rental for a contender this season before signing elsewhere over the winter.

Still, it's easy to see his appeal as an impact bat. He swatted his 20th home run of the season Thursday and has posted an impressive batting line of .303/.373/.557 over 346 plate appearances.