By: Nick Galle
The Baltimore Orioles traded All-Star shortstop Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for five prospects.
Baltimore will receive Rylan Bannon, Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop, and Breyvic Valera.
The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired four-time All-Star shortstop Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Rylan Bannon, Yusniel Díaz, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop and Breyvic Valera.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 19, 2018
At 28-69 (39.5 GB), Baltimore will lose its centerpiece and look to rebuild. Machado was leading the team in batting average, home runs, RBI, OBP, and hits.
The move was not unexpected, and Machado’s name was associated with many teams in the past weeks. Along with the Dodgers, it was reported that the shortstop could possibly be dealt to Milwaukee, Philadelphia, New York, and even Boston.
At 53-43, the Dodgers will look to make a run to the postseason in the second half of the year with the addition of Machado. Los Angeles comes off of an impressive 2017 season in which they lost the World Series to Houston in seven games.
Los Angeles is the perfect fit for the former Oriole. Unlike Baltimore, LA is a big-time city for a big-time player. Machado has shown that he can play with a chip on his shoulder, and LA will allow him to do so on a bigger stage, a stage that Baltimore simply did not provide.
The 26 year-old is no stranger to the spotlight. From fights and brawls, to all-star appearances and mesmerizing highlights, Machado has created a name for himself since his debut back in 2012.
Not everything we have seen from Machado has been positive though. Machado instigated a brawl back in 2016 against the Kansas City Royals, after fighting pitcher Yordano Ventura. He was also caught up in a dirty situation with the Boston Red Sox, after the apparent attempt to injure second baseman Dustin Pedroia during a slide into second base.
Machado is not afraid to be vocal. In an interview following a game with the Red Sox where Machado was thrown at, he did not hold back when expressing his thoughts.
With the talent and personality that the former shortstop has, he should have no problem in Los Angeles. LA has seen this same type of personality in players such as Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kirk Gibson, and will soon see LeBron join that group. To play in LA, you have to have something special. Whether it be talent, personality, or a combination of both, you have to have something to keep the fans entertained.
Kobe had the talent. Magic had the rivalry with Bird. Gibson had the fist pump rounding first. LeBron will have a chance to become the greatest player of all-time. Machado has talent. Machado has attitude. Machado still has room to grow. Machado just has that “thing” about him that fans want to watch, and at just 26 years-old, he still has the potential to go down as one of the greatest athletes to put on a Dodger uniform.
The Los Angeles Dodgers organization was truly the best fit for Machado. He moves from a team over 39 games back in the AL East, to a team in first place in the NL West. It was time for the superstar to land in a city that worships sports. Baltimore was not that place, and Los Angeles is. Machado’s career has the chance to explode in the City of Angels.
The Dodgers were one win away from a World Series victory in 2017 and Machado might just be the piece that puts the Dodgers over the top this year.
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Cover Photo Via: Getty Images
Video Courtesy of: masn Orioles
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