The Dodgers’ greatest need is pitching. But, with a scarcity of top-flight pitching available in trade, the Dodgers decided to improve their team with the best player they could get.
Every run scored helps just as much as every run saved, after all. The Dodgers already lead the National League in home runs, and they just added a player who has hit more home runs than anyone they already had.
That player is Manny Machado. The Dodgers acquired him from the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, in exchange for a package of five prospects headlined by double-A outfielder Yusniel Diaz, according to people familiar with the situation.