Nearly one month ago, all star shortstop and impending free agent, Manny Machado swung and missed at strike three from Red Sox ace, Chris Sale, landing on one knee, in front of the Los Angeles crowd in unceremonious fashion. In doing so, this put an end to a Fall Classic of missed opportunities and disappointments for not only the Dodgers, but Machado himself (going a dismal four for twenty-two).
However, his monumental collapse against Boston did not even begin to scratch the surface of reasons why he ruffled feathers during October of 2018. After jogging out a ground at a snails’ pace during the National League Championship Series, to the dismay of not only Dodgers fans but most baseball purists, Machado decided to justify his style of play during a pre-game interview with Ken Rosenthal on national television by claiming he is “not Johnny Hustle,” and running down the line hard on all ground balls is not his “cup of tea.” A day later, the Dodgers shortstop inadvertently turned the entire Brewers organization and fanbase into his archenemy with a pair of hard-nosed slides into second base and a cleat into the achilles of Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar. Needless to say, Manny Machado quickly became a household name (infamously) to baseball fans across the country.
While the name Manny Machado still makes numerous Los Angeles fans cringe, he is very much worthy of becoming one of the highest paid players in the MLB. He may also very well just be the slugger that the Dodgers need.
With two time all-star and former rookie of the year Corey Seager making his way back from Tommy John Surgery, all signs point to him regaining his job as everyday shortstop, the same position Manny Machado plays. Despite this assumption, the Dodgers infield is anything but a group of certainty for not only 2019, but for years to come. As of right now, the infield is believed to have two locks for next season; the aforementioned Seager, who is recovering from surgery, and fan favorite Justin Turner, who despite finishing off the season with MVP numbers, has dealt with numerous injuries over the past two years. Outside of these two, the rest of the infield right now consists of Max Muncy, David Freese, Chris Taylor, and Kike Hernandez; all of whom thrived in various utility roles for reasons such as success in certain matchups or defensive versatility.
At 34 years old and with only two years left on his four year deal with the Dodgers, Turner is not the future of this team. While proving he is well above average offensively, his defensive WAR took quite a tumble last year. He went from averaging nearly a full win above league average defensively every season with the Dodgers to being only two tenths of a win above replacement defensively all season at third base. This can easily be fixed by moving Turner to first base for more games, as he enters his mid thirties (the time most ballplayers begin to see a decline in performance).
Corey Seager on the other hand, is the future of the organization, at just twenty four years old. What position he’ll play however, is still very much up in the air. Dating back to his days in the farm system, many projected him as a third baseman due to his size and belief that there was limited range for the position. Following recurring elbow and hip issues that led to Seager requiring two offseason surgeries, it may be wise to ease him back into Major League action by taking away the pressure of being the everyday shortstop. His ability to play third base coupled with the track record of recent success the Dodgers have had integrating players to multiple positions leaves one to conclude to that Corey Seager will likely play more than just shortstop in 2019 as he comes off injury.
Enter Manny Machado, the twenty six year old four time all-star with two gold gloves and a platinum glove. Following surgery on his right knee at the end of the 2014 season, Manny Machado has averaged 159 games a season since then. On a team that has been plagued with injuries in recent years and have been forced to put out a different lineup every night, having someone dependable like Machado is inexplicably valuable. Consistency is something this Dodgers team desperately need.
Aside from that, Manny Machado is not simply a body that is just going to stand on the field and be league average, he is a star. In that same time frame, following his knee surgery, Machado has averaged over thirty five home runs and ninety six RBIs. For you analytical fans, he has averaged an OPS+ of 129; about thirty points above league average, as well as a WAR of 5.78. ELITE.
On a more intangible note, Machado possesses an ability that very few players have. Manny Machado has the ability to get in the head of opposing teams and fan bases. If not for Manny Machado the Dodgers would not have wound up in the World Series, plain and simple. As seen in the NLCS vs Milwaukee, Machado’s style of play emotionally affected his opponents. Prominent Brewers players and even their manager had choice words for the Dodgers shortstop. What they did not realize is that they lost to Machado in his own game. The antics of Machado were no accident on his part. Throughout his career, he has made his aggressive style of play a trademark to get into the minds of opponents. No statistics can prove whether or not Machado and his play style does have any impact on games, but it was quite clear that Milwaukee did not look the same the rest of the that series. After looking poised to represent the National League in the World Series, Milwaukee players revealed during interviews, following game four that Machado had won his personal game of irritating the opposition.
The Dodgers, during the Friedman era, have made it quite clear that they will not let fan opinion interfere with what they believe is the right move. Whether or not they ultimately wind up signing Machado or letting him walk is something only they can control. The short term opinions of many fans will certainly not be a determining factor in where Machado lands.