Manuel Margot arrived at camp with the Minnesota Twins less than 24 hours after the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him.
It's the second time in two weeks that Margot had to introduce himself to a clubhouse full of new teammates. It's the fourth he's been traded in his career. He knows that it's part of the business.
This year, hug watch came early.
“That’s part of the game. It’s really hard, especially getting adapted. You have to get adapted really quick to the organization you’re going to. … It wasn’t surprising. My lawyer had already told me in the morning that there was a move, that I had to be ready. I was expecting it.”
The cross-country trek has been an adventure for Margot. He was traded from Tampa Bay, where his family lives year-round, to the Dodgers in December. He arrived at Cactus League in Phoenix two weeks ago to fly back to Tampa Bay on Monday and made the two-hour drive to Fort Myers on Tuesday morning.
When Margot was traded, he was in the starting lineup for the Dodgers, who were in Scottsdale playing against the Colorado Rockies.
“It was a crazy day. We were playing away. I had to get in the car. It was like a 45-minute drive to my house. I tried to pack everything, put it all in a suitcase and then drive to the airport. … I woke up at 5 a.m. just to say hi to my kids just because I wasn’t able to see them Monday. Then at 6 I hit the road and got here.”
Margot is expected to fill a role for the Twins that was held by Michael A. Taylor last year: a right-handed hitter who can play any outfield position.
In his two Cactus League games with the Dodgers, Margot was 0-for-6 with a strikeout.
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