Sak Sports Blog

The Baltimore Orioles have a trade in place for shortstop Manny Machado, and while it was looking like the Philadelphia Phillies were close to sealing the deal , it appears a different team while acquire the slugger's services: the Los Angeles Dodgers. The news broke before the 2018 MLB All-Star Game, with Ken Rosenthal tweeting teams around the league have begun accepting Machado to the Dodgers. He leaves the door open for a surprise offer to swing Baltimore's mind, but that seems unlikely at this time. The 28-69 Orioles will likely fall even further from their .289 winning percentage without their star player. Don't be surprised if they look good for a couple weeks, ultimately this team will finish with the worst record in decades. On the other hand, the NL-West leading 54-43 Dodgers will get a much-needed push with the Arizona Diamondbacks breathing down their neck a mere half game behind at the break. The Dodgers will look to push the Chicago Cubs for the le...

It's becoming clear Manny Machado won't be a Baltimore Oriole in 2019, and maybe not even in August 2018 after the MLB Trade Deadline. Whether it's at the July deadline or in the free agency period, the Philadelphia Phillies have been linked to Machado for some time.  The Phillies could be aggressive at both the trade deadline, due to  their potential to compete in the NL East, and in the offseason, with the financial flexibility to add another key piece. Machado, who is playing his first full season as a shortstop in Baltimore, says he will not be returning to third base on his next team.  "I've been a shortstop all my life. I played third base for a couple years" he said. Adding Machado to the left side of the Phillies infield would be extremely valuable to the team, but it might block the progress of some prospects with potential. Maikel Franco is already a couple years along, typically manning third base. J.P Crawford, a natural shortstop, and C...

Since winning the World Series in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies went on a straight decline that hit all the possible season-ending outcomes: lost World Series, lost NLCS, lost NLDS, missed playoffs, all the way down to earning the top draft pick with nearly 100 losses in 2015. Now, after the team has been gutted of veterans like Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, and Carlos Ruiz, the team is ready to move forward with a fresh slate. And they've jumpstarted the process in a big way, signing former Cleveland Indians slugger Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million deal. The former catcher instantly becomes one of the most dangerous threats in the Phillies lineup. In 154 games last season, the first baseman/designated hitter hit .259 with 23 home runs and 79 runs batted in. Comparing that to the Phillies lineup last season, he would've been 2nd in home runs, just one behind Maikel Franco, led the team in RBI's, and had the third highest batting average on the te...