Baltimore Orioles star Manny Machado arrived at spring training Saturday morning, ready to move on from offseason trade talk and prepared to focus on his transition to shortstop after spending the majority of his big league career at third base.
Machado, expected to be one of the most sought-after free agents after this season, avoided arbitration last month by agreeing to a $16 million contract for 2018. He received $11.5 million last season.
Knowing this could be Machado's final season in Baltimore, teams approached the Orioles about their franchise player, with talks heating up at the winter meetings.
The Orioles say they were never shopping Machado.
"I knew from the get-go. I know there's a business part of it," Machado told reporters. "They're trying to get the best for the team. They're just trying to look for what was out there, what my value was worth. I knew that 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 and do what I've got to do to help this team win some games and move forward."
Machado, 25, hopes to do that as the team's shortstop this season. He broke into professional baseball at shortstop as the third overall pick in the 2010 draft before moving to third base as a rookie in 2013 in deference to veteran shortstop J.J. Hardy.
The three-time All-Star didn't make an appearance at shortstop last season but played 45 games there in 2016 while Hardy was injured.
"It's where my heart has always been," Machado said. "It's my natural position. ... I know a lot of the talk has been, 'Oh, is he going to be worth more there? More money.' It's not about the money. It's not about going out there and signing a 20-year deal. This is where my heart has always been. This is what I've wanted to do. This is what I've always wanted to do.
"This is what I came into this world to do was to play shortstop at the big league level. Finally, Buck [Showalter] and the Baltimore organization are giving me the opportunity to go out there and do what I can at that position and show myself. That's been my dream all along. I'm really looking forward to it."
Machado plans to remain at shortstop -- whether he stays in Baltimore after the season or signs what is expected to be a lucrative free-agent deal next offseason.
"Once I do it this year, it's not something that's just switching off. I'm making the transition," Machado said. "Hopefully, I want to stay there and continue doing it. This is where my heart has always been. Finally getting an opportunity to do it for a full season. I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully I can continue playing it for a long time."