Machado: No extension talks with Orioles

Manny Machado arrived Saturday morning for likely his final spring training with the Baltimore Orioles, as the impending free agent - whose name swirled in trade rumors all winter long - said he hasn't had any extension talks with the club.

"We'll see what happens," Machado told reporters, including USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

No matter which uniform he ends up wearing in 2019, Machado made it clear he wants to play shortstop, permanently. Earlier this offseason, at Machado's reported behest, the Orioles agreed to move the longtime third baseman - a two-time Gold Glover - back to his natural position (a move that'll serve him well in free agency next winter, incidentally).

"It's not about more money or a 20-year contract," Machado said. "I don't want to keep switching off. I want to stay at shortstop."

He added: "It's where my heart is always been."

Still, Machado said, his impending free agency won't weigh on him this year, insisting that "it won't be a distraction."

Machado, who turns 25 in July, is coming off a relatively disappointing campaign in which he managed 2.8 WAR - his worst mark since his injury-shortened 2014 campaign - with a .782 OPS (102 wRC+) and 33 home runs in 156 games. His substandard 2017 campaign doesn't appear to be more than an afterthought, though, as the three-time All-Star braces for his first full season as a big-league shortstop.

"It's going to be fun," Machado said. "All I know is that I’ll be playing shortstop this year for the Orioles, and what happens after that, only time will tell."