The Los Angeles Dodgers lost their young all-star shortstop Corey Seager for the rest of 2018 and beyond to undergo Tommy John surgery. After the news broke, rumors began to swirl that the Orioles' Manny Machado could be a suitable candidate to be traded to the Dodgers to take Seager's place.
It makes sense. Machado's contract is up with the O's after this season. The team's talks with Manny regarding a contract extension have practically gone nowhere. Manny is considered to be one of the top 5 players in the MLB right now and his next contract will be monumental.
Instead of letting him walk away from the Orioles at the end of this season as a free agent, why wouldn't the Orioles try to get something for him in a trade? Especially if they have an opportunity to land a deal with a team like the Dodgers in need, who have money and one of the top farm systems in the league.
The O's are clearly not a playoff team this season. Manny in another team's uniform in 2019 is all but assured. Jim Palmer thinks it's inevitable that Manny ends up as a Dodger.
The Dodgers were reportedly one of a few teams who made a run at Manny during this offseason, so it's no question they want him, even when they had a healthy Seager. Perhaps the only argument against Manny ending up with the Dodgers is a trade for him would cost the team a substantial amount of money against the luxury tax.
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