The Dodgers’ Six Biggest Trade Acquisitions of the Last Six Years

6. The biggest fish available in Machado is reeled into LA for no major prospects, July 2018

The trade that should be the most fresh within the conscious of every Dodger fan is the most recent deadline mega-deal completed by the Friedman front office, the Manny Machado deal provided another example that Friedman prefers to build his team through rentals rather than through offseason moves.

The trade saw Manny Machado wrenched from Baltimore for a large prospect haul that included Yusniel Diaz, Rylan Bannon, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop, and Breyvic Valera. While Diaz, Pop and Bannon all have put up solid numbers in the minor leagues, especially last season, none seem to have the potential to provide even half of a season of Machado’s caliber.

The Machado deal was even more of a guaranteed rental than the last two deadline deals, as Machado was brought in to play shortstop in place of the injured Corey Seager, who is set to return this season from Tommy John surgery.

While Machado may be best remembered for his lack of hustle in the playoffs, and his honesty when admitting that he isn’t a hustling type of player, he did plug a gaping hole in the Dodgers lineup. The lanky shortstop slashed .273/.338/.487 after arriving in LA, popping 13 homers in just 66 games.

In his first 12 games after the trade, Machado hit .323 with 6 homers and 4 steals, a blazing pace that he would not be able to sustain during the rest of his Dodgers tenure.

Machado hit .266 with 7 homers in August and .276 with 4 homers in September. The Dodgers went 39-28 over his time on the team, a good enough record to take the NL West after winning game 163 against the Rockies, a game in which Machado went 1-4 with a strikeout. He was able to stay on the field as well, only missing one game after the trade.

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In the playoffs, Machado disappointed. He hit just .227 with 18 strikeouts and 4 walks in 66 ABs. His best stretch during the playoffs came between the Atlanta and Milwaukee series, where he went on a five-game hitting streak that saw three multi-hit games and two homers and two doubles. The Dodgers went 3-2 during this stretch, and he helped the team scratch and claw their way into the NLCS game 7, where he went 2-4 and scored a run in the 5-1 win.

His World Series went steeply downhill. Though he recorded a hit in each of the first four World Series games, Machado went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts in game 5, when the Dodgers needed the former-AL East standout to lead the way.

While the move undoubtedly pushed the Dodgers over the Rockies and gave them another shot to win the title, his lackluster performance in the World Series has left Dodgers fan with a sour taste in their mouths. Machado probably won’t be headed back to LA, even if the Dodgers have been rumored to be testing the waters with him.

Hopefully, the next Friedman deadline deal provides a better, longer-lasting fit than the last two rentals, and maybe even a player who can deliver the oft-desired World Series ring to Chavez Ravine.