Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Friday 20 July 2018
Dodgers land All-Star shortstop Manny Machado from Orioles

By BEN WALKER and DAVID show up in a Dodger uni-
GINSBURG form before we start asking
AP Sports Writers those questions," he said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers "We hope he plays well and
won the Manny Machado creates a good market for
sweepstakes, getting the himself. We're not worried
prized All-Star shortstop about what happens past
from the Baltimore Orioles 2018."
in a trade Wednesday Though only a summer rent-
night. al, Machado was coveted
The Orioles received five by a variety of contend-
prospects: outfielder Yusn- ers, including Philadelphia,
iel Diaz, right-handers Dean Milwaukee, the Chicago
Kremer and Zach Pop, and Cubs and Arizona.
third basemen Rylan Ban- "We liked the depth of the
non and Breyvic Valera. Dodger package, we liked
Machado, a 26-year-old the quality of the players
power hitter with extraor- in the package and we
dinary fielding skills, great- liked Yusniel Diaz, a player
ly improves the Dodgers' we feel is a gifted hitter,"
chances of reaching the Duquette said. "We felt he
World Series for a second was clearly the best player
consecutive year. He led offered to us during this re- In this Saturday, May 19, 2018 file photo,Baltimore Orioles' Manny Machado throws to first base to
Baltimore in batting aver- cent market. He was the make the double play on Boston Red Sox's Eduardo Nunez during the eighth inning of a baseball
age (.315), home runs (24) key to the trade. But the game in Boston.
and RBIs (65). other players in the trade Associated Press
Machado is expected to are also very talented."
be introduced in Milwau- The 21-year-old Diaz hit two Not only that, but Mach- the game. This is where I've that and being able to
kee on Friday before the home runs in the All-Star Fu- ado likely gets to stay at always wanted to be, this is move between shortstop
Dodgers open a series tures Game last weekend. shortstop, the position he what brings the best player and third, we believe he
against the Brewers. He's hitting .314 with a .905 manned this year after pre- out of me." can be an asset at both
"We viewed Manny Mach- OPS with six homers, 30 RBIs viously playing third base Zaidi said Dodgers man- those positions," Zaidi said.
ado as a big difference and 36 runs scored this sea- for Baltimore. ager Dave Roberts has ex- "When JT (Justin Turner) is
maker," Dodgers general son. "I love playing short. I mean, plained to Machado about down, Manny's ability and
manager Farhan Zaidi said. Duquette said Valera will I love it," Machado said last how much the team values willingness to play third
The Dodgers are in a close be optioned to Triple-A week. "I'm more excited flexibility and versatility in base on those occasions
race in the NL West, lead- Norfolk, and the other four playing shortstop than I've playing different positions. will be really important go-
ing Arizona by a half-game players will be sent to Dou- ever been. I'm more into "Manny being flexible with ing forward. q
going into the second half. ble-A Bowie.
"Our first hope is we have Los Angeles gets a four-
a division-winning roster," time AL All-Star with two
Zaidi said. "Any time you Gold Gloves who has 129
have a chance to add an homers over the last 3½
impact player in a tight di- seasons. Machado was
vision race that's something drafted third overall by the
you have to look at closely." Orioles in 2010, made his
Machado's contract ex- big league debut in 2012
pires at the end of the and spent his entire major
season, and the last-place league career in Baltimore.
Orioles decided against "Obviously, it's a bitter-
negotiating an expensive, sweet day for our organi-
multi-year extension be- zation," Duquette said. "We
cause they have too many watched Manny grow up in
holes as the team moves our franchise the past eight
into a rebuilding mode. years. We all know what
"We tried to maintain a an exceptional talent he
competitive club this year, is, from the great plays that
and that's why we resisted he made to his elite hitting.
the offers we had in the He's always going to be a
offseason to trade Manny," part of our important part
Dan Duquette, the Orioles' of our club's history."
executive vice president of The Dodgers are filling a
baseball operations, said. gaping hole at shortstop
"But when it became obvi- created by the loss of Co-
ous that it was time to look rey Seager, who is out for
to the future, trading Man- the season after undergo-
ny is the first step in the plan ing Tommy John surgery in
to rebuild our ballclub." May.
Asked if the Dodgers would And Machado moves
re-sign Machado, Zaidi de- from a cellar-dweller to a
murred. division-leading club in the
"Let's have him at least middle of a pennant race.