Baltimore Orioles Expected to Trade Manny Machado to Dodgers
By Ben Palmer
The Baltimore Orioles are expected to trade Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow barring a last-minute change to the deal.
The Baltimore Orioles are expected to trade Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow barring a last-minute change to the deal, Bob Nightengale reports for USA Today Sports.
An official with direct knowledge of the deal spoke to Nightengale on condition of anonymity as the deal has not been finalized yet.
There is no word as of yet what players might be in on the deal for Machado, however Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reported earlier today that one of the Dodgers’ top outfield prospects, Yusniel Diaz, is included in the offer the Dodgers sent to the Baltimore Orioles.
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Heyman also reported that the Dodgers are committed to staying under the luxury tax threshold, which may mean that the team will send a high-priced veteran player to the Baltimore Orioles as well.
As it stands, the Dodgers’ top-five hitters ranked by highest 2018 salary are:
- Matt Kemp – $21.75M
- Justin Turner – $16.67M
- Yasiel Puig – $9.21M
- Logan Forsythe – $9M
- Yasmani Grandal – $7.9M
Another potential option is pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu who’s 2018 salary is at $7.83M, though he is currently recovering from an injury.
It’s no surprise the Dodgers are pursuing Machado as fervently as they are, considering they are first in the NL West and lost their star shortstop Corey Seager for the season to Tommy John surgery earlier this year.
Their need for offense is even more significant now, as outfielder Yasiel Puig—who was in the midst of a very productive month—has landed on the disabled list with a strained right oblique and is set to miss at least a few weeks of the season.
One advantage to the Baltimore Orioles trading with the Dodgers is that L.A.’s farm system runs very deep, especially with outfield and pitching prospects—a major need for the Orioles.
Players like Diaz along with pitchers Yadier Alvarez and Dustin May all have intrigued the Orioles for some time now, as has Alex Verdugo—the Dodgers’ top prospect—but it appears he’s not on the table.
Next: A Look at 5 Potential Dodgers Prospects in a Machado Trade
Nightengale reports that the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers are still in talks with the Orioles for Machado, so the situation is fluid and could change rapidly.