Machado is still stuck in trade limbo
WASHINGTON – Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon was signing baseballs a few hours before Tuesday’s All-Star Game when the topic of Manny Machado’s expected trade to the Dodgers, which could happen as soon as Wednesday, was brought up.
Also autographing balls a couple of feet away, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn’t suppress a hearty laugh.
Roberts can’t comment on the possible acquisition until it’s completed or risk tampering charges, but he could certainly express his glee with a joke.
“Blackmon just signed an extension so he was unavailable,” Roberts said with a big smile. “That was our first choice.”
Actually, Machado would be an ideal fit for the Dodgers, who have surged to first place in the National League West and look primed to put some distance between themselves and the rest of a tight division.
The four-time All-Star, who is playing shortstop full time for the first time in his career, would fill the huge void left when Corey Seager went out for the season on April 30 because of an elbow injury.
Chris Taylor, who also plays center field, has started most of the games at shortstop in Seager’s absence.
Taylor is batting .253 with 11 home runs, 41 RBI and a .786 OPS. Machado, who will become a free agent after the season, is batting .315 with 24 homers, 65 RBI and a .963 OPS for the Orioles.
“It’s super convenient for those teams when they have a need to go out and get the best available guy,” Blackmon said, meaning for Roberts to hear him. “Having said that, I still think our shortstop is very, very good. I’ll put him up against anybody in the league.”
Indeed, Trevor Story is enjoying an All-Star season of his own, and he’s a major reason Colorado trails Los Angeles by just two games, with the Diamondbacks in second place, half a game behind.
But it speaks to the depth of the Dodgers’ pockets and farm system, as well as the intensity of their title pursuit, that they appear to be the winners of the Machado sweepstakes. Los Angeles is seeking its first championship since 1988, after falling one victory short in last year’s World Series. USA TODAY reported Tuesday that the swap with the Orioles is a near certainty.
Asked about the trade reports before the All-Star Game, Machado said he had no news from the Orioles or his agent.
“They’re rumors,” he said in Spanish. “It hasn’t happened yet, so I don’t know what to say.”
NL West opponents had plenty to say, perhaps none more eloquent than the one-word response from Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford when told the Machado deal could be completed by Wednesday.
“Oof!” he exclaimed, before adding, “Any team that gets him will have an immediate impact, for sure. He’s one of the best players in the game. That goes for the Dodgers also.”
The addition of Machado has the potential to shift the balance of power in the wide-open NL West, where the Diamondbacks, Rockies and Giants entered the break within four games of the division leaders. The Dodgers were already on a roll, going 27-13 from June 1 on as they bounced back from a rough start prompted in part by injuries. They’ve gained momentum as key players including Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner and Rich Hill have returned from the disabled list.
Further fortifying their ranks with Machado would certainly boost Los Angeles’ chances of claiming a sixth consecutive division crown, but its opponents are not about to concede.
Neither Blackmon nor Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin viewed the possible acquisition as division-altering. Besides having to assimilate into a new team on the opposite coast in midseason, Machado will have to adjust to a new league.