All-Star SS Manny Machado traded to Los Angeles Dodgers
Jul 18, 2018, 4:12 PM | Updated: 6:06 pm
American League, Baltimore Orioles Manny Machado walks on the field after batting practice ahead of the All-Star Home Run Derby Baseball event, Monday, July 16, 2018, at Nationals Park, in Washington. The 89th MLB baseball All-Star Game will be played Tuesday. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Just as the first half of the MLB season concluded, the Arizona Diamondbacks slipped out of first place in the National League West.
The D-backs trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 0.5 games, but their task of making up that small deficit got immensely more difficult. The Dodgers have agreed to a trade with the Baltimore Orioles to acquire All-Star shortstop Manny Machado. In exchange for Machado, the Dodgers sent Rylan Bannon, Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop and Breyvic Valera to Baltimore.
More than watching a division rival acquire the best player on the trade market who will then become a marquee free agent, the deal hurts Arizona more considering the organization was reportedly interested in trading for Machado itself.
By far the best performer on a very bad team in Baltimore, Machado led the Orioles in batting average (.315), home runs (24), RBIs (65) and walks (45) before the All-Star break.
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Machado converted from third base to shortstop this season and has played the position well enough to easily win the fan vote at the position.
Machado was drafted by the Orioles with the third overall pick in 2010 and has been a starter in Baltimore since 2012. His contract expires after this season, and the Orioles don’t have enough money to keep the 26-year-old shortstop and build a decent team around him.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
