LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Baltimore Orioles can’t stand the idea of trading Manny Machado, but it’s time to say goodbye to one of the greatest players in franchise history.

The Orioles, providing owner Peter Angelos doesn’t stop them, are trading Machado, their greatest third baseman since Brooks Robinson.

Their biggest obstacle is determining who exactly they can trust.

The Orioles naturally want the biggest package they can possibly obtain for Machado, who in a year will become one of the three richest players in baseball history.

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They would love to bring in a haul of prospects who can become the next Jim Palmer, Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray.

Yet, they also are human, with real emotions, and the only thing worse than getting an inferior trade package for Machado is seeing him in a uniform that has pinstripes.

We’re talking about the New York Yankees.

Angelos isn’t about to trade Machado to the Yankees, and watch Machado help the Yankees win the AL East.

He won’t deal Machado to another team that has covert plans to flip Machado to the Yankees.

And he won’t deal Machado to a team if he believes they could fall out of the race by the July 31 trade deadline, trading Machado to the Yankees for the pennant stretch.

Now, if Machado signs a $400 million contract with the Yankees a year from now, there’s absolutely nothing Angelos can do to stop it, unless he suddenly wants to whip out his wallet and pay him even more.

But Angelos is not about to hasten the process of putting Machado in pinstripes.

“Manny Machado is one of the greatest hitters of our time,’’ said rival agent Scott Boras, who will have Bryce Harper on the market next winter. “He has an amazing gift. An amazing gift.

“I can't even think about the Baltimore Orioles without Manny Machado for 2018 because he's just a principal part of their winning. I know from my conversations with [GM] Dan [Duquette] and Peter, they have every intention of continuing to win.’’

That’s always been the Orioles’ mentality, but this time, it’s different.

This time, they know they can’t compete with the Yankees, who acquired NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton. They can’t keep up with the Boston Red Sox, who will sign free-agent slugger J.D. Martinez or first baseman Eric Hosmer this winter. The Tampa Bay Rays are on the verge of surrendering, listening to trade offers for ace Chris Archer, third baseman Evan Longoria and closer Alex Colome. And the Toronto Blue Jays may not be far behind if they unload former MVP Josh Donaldson.

“We’re going to do what we can to put together the best club we can,’’ Duquette said, “and obviously there’s a lot of interest in our players on our roster who are going to be free agents. So we need to sort through the extent of that interest and see if a trade makes sense.”

The Orioles, who for the first time since selecting Machado with the third pick in the 2010 draft, told teams they’re willing to listen to trade proposals, and by the time they departed the winter meetings Thursday, had 10 legitimate offers in hand.

The most aggressive offer, they say, was from the biggest surprise team, the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox lost 95 games last year in Year 1 of their rebuild. They may lose even more this year. They’re not supposed to contend until 2019, at the earliest.

So what in the world are the White Sox doing by making an offer unless they intend to deal Machado to the Yankees for even better prospects?

“We are not looking to make any sort of move that’s aimed at simply jumping up and perhaps contending for a wild card or maybe even the division for one year,’’ White Sox GM Rick Hahn says. “The focus remains on the long term. Now we may take some calculated risks along the way. But the focus remains on putting ourselves in the best position for the long term.’’

Translation: The White Sox, according to team executives who spoke to USA TODAY Sports only on the condition of anonymity, indeed made a solid offer for Machado.

Only it didn’t involve any of their prized prospects. Not even close. The deal they offered, two executives said, were based on the belief they would have Machado for only one season.

Oh, sure, they’d love to have Machado for the next 10 years, and would have exclusive negotiating rights next season, but the chance of them dishing out at least $350 million for one player is about the same as the White Sox hosting a ring ceremony party for the Cubs.

Simply, the White Sox say, they would love to have Machado to help make them a better team, giving them a chance to sign him. If they are out of the race by the trade deadline, and Machado isn’t interested in signing an extension, they could then trade him and try to recoup their investment.

Yet, the White Sox insist they would not trade for Machado and immediately flip him. It would be completely unethical, they say. If the Orioles even wanted it in writing that they’d keep him around until at least mid-summer, no problem.

Still, the Orioles don’t believe it. They’re not sure what to believe anymore, really. What would stop the White Sox, or any other team, from dumping Machado into the Yankees’ awaiting arms if they get off to a lousy start in April, or out of the race by May? What would stop them from trading him even in spring training if the Yankees offered a dazzling package of prospects?

Perhaps this is why the St. Louis Cardinals could be the favorites to land Machado. They badly want him. They need a third baseman. And considering they’re chasing the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, there’s little chance they’d trade him.

Why, by having Machado an entire year, the Cardinals believe he’d fall in love with St. Louis, their passionate fan base would fall in love with him, leading to a long-term commitment.

It worked for Mark McGwire. It worked for Matt Holliday. And now, Machado could be next.

Still, there’s the inherent risk that Machado would be nothing more than a one-year rental. It might be different if there were a guarantee Machado would stick around, but the Orioles refuse to give any team a 72-hour negotiating window.

“I don’t see that as a viable option,’’ Duquette said. “I don’t think it’s necessary.”

This is why the White Sox’s offer did not include one of their top prospects. It’s why the Cardinals didn’t even make a formal offer. And it’s why the Orioles may not receive a single offer that overwhelms them.

We’ll find out over the next few days whether Angelos really permits the Orioles to trade Machado, whether the Orioles get the offer they desire, and whether the Cardinals still make the most sense for Machado’s ultimate landing spot.

The Yankees may want him the most, the Orioles may want him the least, but at some point, it’s going to come down to trust.

A blockbuster trade, one that could dramatically change the 2018 playoff landscape, awaits.

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