Dodgers: Is Manny Machado to LA Becoming More Realistic?

If the Dodgers can get it done, there could be a new Manny in town. But this time, a World Series ring could be its outcome.

Manny Machado is a name known ’round the game. Whether you root for the Dodgers, the Rangers, or the Tampa Bay Rays, chances are you know who this guy is.

Good, you should.

He’s tearing it up in Baltimore, but even his 21 home runs so far this season have not been enough to save the Orioles from last place in the American League East. The Birds have stars, but their current roster is not nearly up to the task of competing with the Yanks and Red Sox.

That may sound a little harsh, but hear me out; in order for the Orioles to be as dominant as they were in the early ’80s, they need to trade away one of the best sluggers that city has seen since Cal Ripken Jr.

That trade, it seems, has become inevitable.

Where the Dodgers fit into all of this is pretty interesting. As expected, there are plenty of teams in need of Machado’s skills, and if we’re being really honest, the Dodgers aren’t one of them. The two positions that Machado plays are short and third. The Dodgers already have an All-Star third basemen, and two short-stops, albeit one of them injured, perfectly capable of defending the infield.

That probably isn’t going to stop the Dodgers from seeing this thing through. The Dodgers need an offensive boost, one that Machado can provide.

I remember being asked last season why the Astros traded for Justin Verlander when they were already pretty good. My answer was fairly simple; when you have an opportunity to make your team better, you take it. The Tigers were willing to trade JV, the Astros were willing to pay the cost, so they did, and guess what? It got them a ring.

If the Dodgers are willing to meet the O’s asking price for Machado, they’ll get a player who’s currently in the midst of the best season of his career.

There are a lot of things to consider here. For example, and I’m starting off with the worst-case-scenario first, what if Machado get’s injured and misses most, or all of his potential time as a Dodger?

Or, what if he falls short and so does LA?

There are a thousand scenarios that could play out, but the most realistic one is this; should the Dodgers acquire Machado, they will likely become the team to beat in the National League.

Right now, the rumor mill is turning round and round and we won’t know anything until something actually happens. We can’t forget that until around 1:12 PM PST on July 31st last year, we all thought that Yu Darvish was staying in Arlington.

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This trade, however, will be far trickier than last season’s blockbuster deal. The Orioles could ask for Walker Buehler or Alex Verdugo in a trade (don’t worry, I doubt the Dodgers would do it) but they will definitely be asking for the likes of Mitchell White, Yadier Alvarez, Dustin May, or Yusniel Diaz.

The Dodgers are going to have to part with some potential superstars to acquire Machado but, alas, we have reached the question all contenders must answer at some point; is it worth sacrificing a big part of our future if it means a ring now?

My answer is, and probably always be yes, it is worth it. Fans in LA are hungry, and so are the superstars that call this city home.

That said, if Machado does become a Dodger, he’s going to have to change is number, because 13 belongs solely to Max Muncy right now.

Next: Dodgers Trade Candidate: Zach Britton

Though Machado to the Dodgers isn’t even close to a sure thing, it’s a possibility, and with how well the Dodgers are playing right now, isn’t the thought of Manny Machado joining this lineup pretty cool?

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