Reports surfaced Tuesday afternoon that Baltimore Orioles star shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado is likely being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Baltimore #Orioles expected to trade Manny Machado to the #Dodgers on Wednesday https://t.co/r0HdKW3cbX via @USATODAY
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 17, 2018
#Dodgers increasingly likely to land Machado, sources tell The Athletic. Barring last-minute snag, several of interested teams expect that outcome.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 17, 2018
Well, that made for a very unusual situation Tuesday night. Machado played in the MLB All-Star Game, wearing an Orioles uniform for the AL team.
And in the sixth inning, Ken Rosenthal interviewed Machado on the live Fox broadcast. Rosenthal told Machado, “Every indication that you’re getting traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers,” and asked Machado how he’s dealing with the weird situation.
“I’m trying to enjoy this off day tomorrow."- Manny Machado to @Ken_Rosenthal on his next steps pic.twitter.com/QR1su6JFgy
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 18, 2018
This kayfabe that Machado has not been traded to the Dodgers was well and good until they actually started asking Machado about it and he's talking about Baltimore in the past tense.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 18, 2018
Immediately after the interview concluded (literally seconds later), Rosenthal jumped on Twitter and said that he “can report with more certainty: Machado to Dodgers happening.”
Can report with more certainty: Machado to #Dodgers happening. Among remaining questions, in addition to specifics of return beyond OF Yusniel Diaz: How much money, if any, #Orioles will send #Dodgers to secure a better package and help ease LAD’s luxury-tax concerns.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 18, 2018
So, Rosenthal and Machado both *surely* knew it was a done deal during that interview. Did Machado inform Rosenthal? Or did Rosenthal inform Machado? It would’ve been fun to see that exchange.
We’ll likely learn more details about the trade in the coming hours, but for now we know that — barring any issues with the physicals, etc — the Dodgers will soon be adding Machado and his .963 OPS to their roster (they don’t *need* him as much as a few contenders, but he’ll definitely help them). And 21-year-old prospect Yusniel Diaz — he homered twice in Sunday’s Futures Game — appears to be the main piece headed back to Baltimore.
UPDATE: More details on the potential prospects involved in the trade.
Sources believe the deal agreed upon between #Dodgers and #Orioles is Yusniel Diaz, Dustin May, and Errol Robinson heading to Baltimore for Manny Machado and cash and possibly bonus pool $$. Again, not official as teams have yet to announce. Still fluid.
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) July 18, 2018
[Fox]
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.