The Manny Machado trade talks have heated up in the past couple days, with constant updates often. The belief was that a deal was to be done by the end of the week. But there have been numerous updates happening, with a change of news in what feels like every hour. But it is fair to say that the ‘Manny Machado Sweepstakes’ appears to be finally nearing an end.
As of right now, there are reports that the Baltimore Orioles have a deal in place already, but the other team is unknown. They are still working through the kinks of the deal and are expected to announce it tomorrow, which would allow Machado to represent the Orioles during the All-Star Game.
This Just In: The Baltimore Orioles have the structure of a deal in place for Manny Machado and are working through specific aspects of a trade, sources tell @Buster_ESPN. https://t.co/piBa3n5QRr
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 17, 2018
At first, people believed that the Philadelphia Phillies were the favorites to land the shortstop because the Orioles are prioritizing pitching, and the Phillies were willing to part with their number two prospect, pitcher Adonis Medina, according to highly-respected reporter Jon Morosi. And that was last night. But then you wake today, and the reports have completely shifted.
Orioles to trade Manny Machado to the Dodgers. https://t.co/S2jUTWYeRD
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) July 17, 2018
Nothing is a sure thing, but the Dodgers are viewed as the favorites to land the star shortstop. They have been looking for a replacement once their star shortstop, Corey Seager, went down. Who better than another elite talent that can fill in for the next two-plus months until Seager comes back?
The Orioles may have, reportedly, circled onto their guy: Dodgers’ outfielder Yusniel Diaz.
According to @jonmorosi, the #Orioles are prioritizing pitching in Manny Machado trade talks but have also shown interest in #Dodgers No. 4 prospect Yusniel Diaz, who became the second player to homer twice in a #FuturesGame on Sunday. Here's the latest: https://t.co/28OI594OJ2 pic.twitter.com/uG29BNNmro
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 17, 2018
Diaz, 21, has had an excellent season for the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate the Tulsa Drillers. In 261 plate appearances, Diaz is hitting .314/.428/.477 with six home runs. But perhaps, the most impressive thing about him, considering his youth, is his plate discipline.
He is walking more than he is striking out, which is hard to find at any level. Diaz has a walk rate of 15.5%, almost double from last year’s stint in Tulsa, compared to striking out 14.8% of his plate appearances, way down from 24.8% from last year’s Double-A stint. That is the kind of progression that raises eyebrows (in a good way) and turns heads.
He can play all three outfield position, but with right field being his best fit. He has solid speed, but the explosive elite speed needed for center field. But his above-average speed combined with his arm makes right field his best fit, with the ability to fill in in center and left if needed to.
He would be a big loss for the Dodgers because of his youth and talent, but this is the cost when trying to acquire an elite talent like Manny Machado, even if he’s just a rental. But, the franchise can cope with the loss because they have very good depth in the outfield, both at the major league level and in the minors, so the path to a starting job would have been a tough one for Diaz.
But now, he can be one of the building blocks in a rebuild in Baltimore. He, along with young catcher Chance Sisco, and top prospect Ryan Mountcastle, if they pan out, can help the Orioles into a new phase for the franchise, while continuing to draft well and acquire more minor league talent.
Speaking of which, the Orioles should not stop there. They need to move their other veterans like Zach Britton. Unless they are confident they can re-sign him for a cheaper one-year deal because of his injury then it makes sense to hold onto him. But, his pedigree may prevent that from happening, so the Orioles should cash in on him so they can acquire even more young talent. No reason to postpone part of the rebuild for another year.
It looks like the biggest storyline from this season is finally coming to an end and we can all move on and go back to focus primarily on baseball.
Featured Image via Flickr/Keith Allison
