Fantasy talk: Welcome to the Show Manny Machado

According to several reports, the Orioles will select the contract of top position player prospect Manny Machado before Thursday night's game against Kansas City. Machado will probably see everyday action at the third base position, even though he was originally drafted as a shortstop. In our latest edition of Fantasy Baseball Welcome to the Show, we will look into Manny Machado's pros and cons and what we can expect from him for the rest of the season.

Machado was drafted as the 3rd overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Orioles. He put up decent offensive numbers in the minors, and before the 2012 season, Baseball America ranked him as the 11th best prospect in the game. Now Machado hasn't had a great season by any means this year, hitting .266 at the Double-A level. Honestly, I'm really surprised that Baltimore is calling him up and kind of rushing him to the big leagues. I honestly feel like he isn't ready, and that will affect his performance.

One thing we can expect from Machado are everyday at-bats, meaning lots and lots of playing time. The Orioles want to know what they have in him, and the only way to prove that is by playing him everyday. Now, I'm not sure about how well he will do for the remainder of the season. Like I said earlier, I think he has been rushed to the big leagues and that could diminish his value as a fantasy player.

From a fantasy standpoint, It probably wouldn't hurt to take a flier on Machado. Some of you Tulowitski owners could still be desperately looking for a shortstop and Machado could be your man. Overall, it will be nice to see what Machado brings to the table and maybe if he does well, he may possibly be a nice sleeper pick for next year's draft.