Baltimore Orioles should move Manny Machado to short stop

The Winter Meetings have been rather quiet except for a few trade rumors about Baltimore Orioles Manny Machado and a couple of other players.

The Baltimore Orioles slugger has requested that he wants to be the team’s shortstop. And, this is not the first time he has made the request.

Unfortunately for Machado, in the previous seasons, the shortstop position belonged to J.J. Hardy and his handful of Gold Gloves. But, now that Hardy is no longer in Birdland, it is time that Machado stakes his claim on the coveted spot.

Lock him in at shortstop

The Orioles should let the All-Star and Platinum Glove winner have the spot. And, the team should use the position to their advantage. As Machado approaches his free agency, it is easy to see that the teams that could pay him big dollars do not need shortstops – but most could use third basemen. If Machado really wants to play shortstop, the O’s might be able to work out a deal for him and get him to stay in Baltimore and own that spot.

The teams that have shown early interest in Machado already have high-quality shortstops. The New York Yankees have Didi Gregorius. The St. Louis Cardinals have Paul DeJong. In Los Angeles, the Angels have Andrelton Simmons. The Phillies were one team that could use a better shortstop, but it is very difficult imagining Machado playing in Philadelphia.

Be creative with other players

Some might wonder what the Orioles could do with Tim Beckham, who is the likely heir to Hardy’s spot on the field. The Orioles could be creative with him. Consider what the Seattle Mariners have done with Dee Gordon. In 2017, he was the shortstop for the Miami Marlins. But in 2018, he will play centerfield.

If the Orioles want to put Machado in at shortstop, they will need to figure out what to do with Beckham. He’s an athletic young player who could probably transition in the same way that Gordon will. Someone will need to play third, but as an athletic player, Beckham could become a useful outfielder. Then, Trey Mancini could come in to play third base. At 6’4, Mancini is built to play a corner infield position. Otherwise, Beckham could move to second base and Jonathan Schoop could take Machado’s spot at third. There are plenty of creative ways that the Orioles could make a Machado move to shortstop work in their favor.

Next: Bid on the O's auctions before the Winter Meetings end

The Orioles should be doing everything they can to keep Machado on the team. If putting him in at shortstop will do it, then they should figure out how to make it work.

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