Another star to burn bright in LA

 First it was Lebron James, now it's Manny Machado.

This one was a doozy, featuring 10 total home runs, a new record for an All-Star Game. The previous record was six, from back in 1971 when Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, and Roberto Clemente all went deep.

Aaron Judge kicked things off with a solo shot off Max Scherzer in the top of the second, followed by Mike Trout going deep off MLB ERA leader Jacob deGrom in the top of the third.

Willson Contreras got the National League on the board in the bottom of the third with a solo homer off Blake Snell and then Trevor Story tied things up with a solo blast off Charlie Morton in the bottom of the seventh. Jean Segura put the American League back ahead in the top of the eighth with a three-run homer off Josh Hader before Christian Yelich hit a solo homer off Morton in the bottom of the eighth and Scooter Gennett pulled this homer-happy Midsummer Classic into another deadlock with a game-tying two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth against Edwin Diaz. Everybody following along?

A couple of sluggers from the defending World Series-champion Astros, Alex Bregman and George Springer, went back-to-back in the top of the 10th inning off Ross Stripling to put the American League back in the lead -- this time for good. Joey Votto slugged the final home run of the night in the bottom of the 10th inning, but it was a solo shot and the final score settled in at 8-6, with Bregman ultimately earning MVP honors and a new car from Chevrolet.

This game, while exciting at times, really encapsulated what baseball has become in 2018 -- a sport of three true outcomes. 44 of the 90 plate appearances ended in either a walk, a home run, or a strikeout.

Now to the story that everybody was talking about throughout the FOX broadcast -- no, not Josh Hader’s tweets, though that’s something that will dominate headlines over the next few days too …  

Machado About to Be A Dodger

Major League Baseball frowns on teams making big announcements on the day of the All-Star Game, but it sounds like that’s the only thing keeping this from being made official …

Manny Machado is heading to the Dodgers -- barring a last-minute snag -- with the Orioles expected to receive multiple prospects in return -- possibly five of them. One of those prospects could be 21-year-old outfielder Yusniel Diaz, who has put up an impressive .314/.428/.477 batting line with six home runs, 30 RBI, eight stolen bases, and 36 runs scored in 59 games this season at Double-A Tulsa. Jon Heyman of Fancred was the first to float Diaz as a possibility for this deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic notes that no players from the Dodgers’ major league roster will be involved.

We haven’t heard word about any other possible names, but the Orioles’ front office was known to be prioritizing young starting pitchers in their negotiations with teams -- negotiations that date back to the winter. There are a number of good young starters in the Dodgers’ minor league system.

The fallout, under the safe assumption that this trade does get done …

Machado will take over as the Dodgers’ everyday shortstop, with Chris Taylor likely becoming the regular second baseman and Max Muncy drawing the majority of playing time at first base. That means Cody Bellinger moves to center field and guys like Joc Pederson, Enrique Hernandez, and Andrew Toles will see a decrease in playing time moving forward. Yasiel Puig would join that crowded corner-outfield platoon when he returns from his Grade 1 oblique strain.

From a fantasy perspective, Machado may lose some power with the move from homer-happy Camden Yards to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium, but hitting in the middle of a far better lineup will boost his potential for RBI and runs scored. It should really be a wash. The 26-year-old impending free agent superstar was batting .315/.387/.575 with 24 home runs, 65 RBI, eight stolen bases, and 48 runs scored through 96 games this season on a 28-69 Orioles team.

As for the situation in Baltimore, Tim Beckham figures to shift from third base to shortstop, with Danny Valencia moving from right field to the hot corner. Joey Rickard could see more starts in the outfield, but he carries zero fantasy relevance -- no matter the role -- as a .247/.295/.363 career major league hitter. It’d be of interest in fantasy leagues if this trade accelerated the arrival of Orioles top infield prospect Ryan Mountcastle, but he hasn’t played a game above Double-A and it probably doesn’t make much sense to start his service time clock in 2018. Mountcastle, 21, is batting .313/.363/.500 with eight home runs, 38 RBI, and 31 runs scored in 60 games this season with the Double-A Bowie Baysox. He’ll be somebody to watch for heading into 2019.

National League Quick Hits: Stephen Strasburg (shoulder) will return to the Nationals' rotation Friday against the Braves … Yoenis Cespedes (hip) went 1-for-4 with a single and played seven innings in left field Tuesday while playing for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Mets … Brewers signed right-hander Jeffrey Ames to a minor league contract; assigned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

American League Quick Hits: Wilson Ramos (hamstring) will open the second half of the season on the disabled list … Andrew Miller (knee) pitched a hitless inning in his rehab debut Tuesday at Triple-A Columbus