3:15 p.m: The Giants announced the trade to reporters, including NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic, with minor league legal entity Raynel Espinal going the other way. The 30-year-old made his MLB debut last year and recorded just two innings for the Red Sox. The Giants signed him to a minor league deal for this year, with Espinal working in Triple-A as a starter. In 19 games, he has pitched 81 1/3 innings with a 5.29 ERA. He has an impressive strikeout rate of 27.6% for the year but below average walk and ground ball rates of 10.3% and 39%.
As expected, Thairo Estrada was placed on the concussion IL to make room for Machado on the active list. Maria I Guardado of MLB.com was among those that were forwarded. To make room in the 40-man roster, right-hand Tobias Myers was chosen for assignment. Myers started the season with the Guardians but left in a trade to the Giants earlier this month. Between the two clubs this year, he has pitched 63 innings in triple-A with a 6.14 ERA.
2:42 p.m: The Giants officially acquired Machado, Morosi reports. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers adds the interesting detail that Machado requested a trade, likely to end up with a team that could offer him playing time in the big leagues.
2:09 p.m: The Giants are looking to acquire infielders Dixon Machado by the Cubs, as Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link) reports that both sides are in talks. It’s unknown if this could be part of a larger multiplayer swap or if Machado would be the main protagonist.
It’s entirely possible that it’s a minor change for monetary reasons given that Machado hasn’t played in the big leagues since 2018. The Giants also particularly need help with shortstops, as injuries have drastically thinned their shortstop depth chart at both the major and minor league levels. Brandon Crawford is on the 10-day injured list recovering from a knee injury while Thairo Estrada was hit in the head by a pitch yesterday and is expected to be placed on the 7-day concussion IL.
After appearing in 172 games with the Tigers from 2015-18, Machado has since played with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate in both 2019 and 2022, with two seasons with the KBO League’s Lotte Giants in between. Over those four years, Machado posted some solid averages and developed a knack for getting to baseball, though his performance was spotty at best (though he hit 17 home runs during the homer-lucky 2019 Triple-A season).
This year at Triple-A Iowa, Machado has hit .312/.402/.394 with two homers and 10 steals (in 13 chances) over 391 plate appearances. While Machado has played shortstop for most of his pro career, the 30-year-old has also seen some action at second and third base, making him a good addition to the Giants’ preferred model of versatile players.