The Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their lineup after acquiring Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for five prospects
The Dodgers sent Zach Pop, Breyvic Valera, Dean Kremer, Rylan Bannon, and highly touted outfielder Yusniel Diaz, who is the fourth-highest rated prospect of the team. Machado who is on the final year of his contract is set to replace the injured Corey Seager at the shortstop position for the Dodgers.
Seager suffered a horrific season-ending elbow injury in May but the team was able to make up for his loss with Chris Taylor serving as his replacement. With Machado now part of the team, Taylor is likely to be shifted in the second base while Max Muncy moves to the first base.
"We've got a great locker room, and I think he would fit right in. And obviously, you put that bat in the middle of our lineup, it makes things pretty special,"pitcher Ross Stripling said.
It has been the Dodgers' tradition to make a major splash at the trade deadline as seen in 2016 when they acquired Josh Reddick and Rich Hill. During the trade, two years ago, the Dodgers sent a trio of pitchers that included Jharel Cotton and Frankie Montas. Just last year, the Dodgers moved Willie Calhoun along with a pair of prospects to Texas to get the services of Yu Darvish.
Machado Set To Provide Depth
The four-time All-Star has been nothing short of phenomenal this season with a slash line of .315/.387/.575 on top of 24 home runs for the Orioles. Currently, the Dodgers are finding themselves with a 0.5-game advantage over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the West division of the National League.
Machado has been a proven hitter in the league, entering the break with a .315 batting average to go along with a .963 on a base-plus-slugging rate. The Dodgers are expected to give Machado the richest contract in franchise history to retain him next season.
Nonetheless, Los Angeles Times journalists Bill Shaikin and Andy McCullough believe that the addition of Machado would crowd the loaded outfield of the team that features Bellinger, Andrew Toles, Yasiel Puig, among others. Shaikin and McCullough added that they will likely part ways with Puig later this month.
Other Teams Making Moves
Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants have shown their interest of acquiring Albert Abreu in a potential trade with the New York Yankees. Abreu last played in the High-A wherein he posted 4.28 ERA and a 2.26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 10 starts.
On the other hand, the Texas Rangers will enter the deadline in search for young pitchers. Among the players that are expected to be moved by the Rangers include Adrian Beltre and starter Cole Hamels.
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