Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado’s Return Looms As Birds Head Home

Former Baltimore Orioles star Manny Machado will return to Camden Yards for the first time since being traded last July in what should make for one of the most entertaining moments of the 2019 season.

With the 2019 Baltimore Orioles, there are very few days marked on the calendar as must watched games. Tuesday will be one of them as the former face of the franchise Manny Machado is set to make his return to Birdland.

The Orioles traded the superstar to the Los Angeles Dodgers last July in exchange for prospects Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, Rylan Bannon, Breyvic Valera, and Zach Pop. After helping the Dodgers win the national league pennant, Machado signed a monster contract with the San Diego Padres where he’s set to spend the next decade of his carer.

As an Oriole Machado made four all-star appearances and won two silver sluggers. He helped the team end their 15 year-playoff drought as a rookie in 2012, reach the ALCS for the first time in 17 years in 2014 and guided the team to the 2016 wild card game.

Now he will enter Camden Yards through the visitors’ clubhouse. Anytime a superstar player returns to their original home there’s going to be the same question. Will fans embrace him and give a standing ovation or disown him with loud jeers.

With Machado, it’s hard to see why the Oriole faithful would boo. Machado did not leave Baltimore via free-agency instead the Birds had no choice but to trade him. He still played the 2018 all-star game in an Orioles uniform despite knowing he was being traded as soon as the game ended. Most importantly, he helped bring a winning culture to Baltimore that had not been seen since Cal Ripken Jr. was still playing.

Thus, hopefully, Birdland will welcome him back with open arms and enjoy seeing him back at Camden Yards for a short while.

Before Machado returns relive his top moments as an Oriole curiosity of MLB.