Orioles Slugger Manny Machado Speaks Out on Trade Rumors, Would He Still Fit with the Indians?

The Indians and Manny Machado.

It’s a dream scenario that Indians fans have drooled over most of the winter, more so when some stories came out about the Indians having interest in the slugger, and even more when there was a report that the Indians and Baltimore at one point had talks about a deal for Machado.

For now though he’s still in Baltimore, ready to play out the final year of his deal, and with it for him comes the questions about what his mindset is regarding the Orioles chatting with other teams about dealing him this past offseason.

“It crossed my mind a little bit when the trade talks were going,’’ Machado said Saturday, “that I might not be able to see these guys again. At one point, it was kind of a little sad. Thank God nothing went down and I was able to come back, and see my guys that I’ve been with for seven years.’’

He has, and now this year the Orioles are shifting him to shortstop, a position the Indians certainly don’t need filled right now with Francisco Lindor manning the position.

If the Tribe and O’s were somehow able to make a deal, it would have been for Machado to play third base, the spot where he played 156 last season, and it probably would have meant Jose Ramirez would have shifted back to second base, leaving a big question mark around the future for Jason Kipnis.

Now though it seems like it’s all in the past, as Machado seems to want to stay with the Orioles, and he seems even more excited about playing shortstop in Baltimore in 2018.

That doesn’t mean he didn’t hear the rumors, and of course it doesn’t mean that even more will pop up during the season, with the Yankees now a team also linked to trying to grab the power hitter who last season hit 33 homers and drove in 95 runs.

“I knew from the get-go, there’s a business part of it,’’ Machado said. “They’re’ trying to get the best for the team. They’re just trying to look out for what was out there, what my value was worth. I knew they still wanted me here, and I was a big key to the success that we’re going to have this year for the team.

“So I’m here to be an Oriole.’’

Much to the sadness of many Indians fans who dreamed about making a deal for him.