Orioles' Manny Machado explains liking photo of himself in Yankees uniform

Orioles shortstop Manny Machado, a free agent after the season, has been the subject of trade rumors.

WASHINGTON — Don’t read too much into Manny Machado‘s clicking the “like” button on an Instagram post showing him in a New York Yankees uniform.

So said the Baltimore Orioles’ all-star shortstop Monday during a session with reporters at Nationals Park.

“That was just a mistake,” Machado said. “That was just scrolling down, seeing pictures. I’ve liked a bunch of them, honestly. I’ve seen myself in Dodgers, Milwaukee, Phillies. It’s been going since, what, the Winter Meetings, sometime in December.”

“We like them all,” he said. “We’ve liked multiple ones.”

Machado hints at how he feels about Yankees

Machado, who will start at shortstop for the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game here, has been the subject of trade rumors for months as he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

He declined to say whether there’s a team he hoped to be traded to.

“I’ve got no choice,” he said.

But if he’s going to traded, he said he’s rather it be sooner.

“Get these answers done with and just get it over with already,” he said.

Though he played shortstop in the minor leagues, he was third baseman in the majors until this year, when he moved back to his original position.

He said he would like to stay at shortstop if traded.

“I would definitely love to stay at short, but I have no control over that,” he said. “Everyone knows that I want to be a shortstop and I want to leave it on the field as a shortstop.”

Even after all the trade rumors, Machado said he would still like to stay with the Orioles.

“I’d like to stay at home,” Machado said. “I’d like to stay with the organization that I’ve been with, not learning any new faces.”

“I would love to stay there,” he said. “This is where I grew up. This is where I became the player I am today.”

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.