Finally, one of the big-name players in the 2018-19 free agent class has found a team. ESPN's Jeff Passan is reporting that superstar infielder Manny Machado has reached an agreement to join the San Diego Padres.
BREAKING: Free agent star Manny Machado has agreed to a deal with the San Diego Padres, league sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2019
Minutes later, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand confirmed the deal, which is for a record-breaking $300 million over 10 years:
BREAKING: Manny Machado has agreed to terms on a deal with the Padres. According to a league source, it’s for 10 years and $300 million – the biggest free-agent contract in the history of American sports.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 19, 2019
Source confirms: Machado to #Padres, 10 years, $300M. First reported: @JeffPassan and @Feinsand.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 19, 2019
The $30 million AAV is likely the highest Machado could have expected, as the former Orioles and Dodgers slugger was looking at offers closer to the seven-year, $175 million range prior to the agreement.
Much has been made about the courtship of both Machado and Bryce Harper as the premium free agents of this offseason. Given the length both players had gone without signing, many around the league wondered if the market value was consistently shrinking with Spring Training already starting up.
Indeed, the MLBPA and players around the league have voiced their displeasure with teams around the league for failing to show the money to free agents. This point will likely be centric to discussions of a new collective bargaining agreement when the current CBA expires after the 2021 season.
Not initially thought to be in on Harper or Machado at the beginning of the offseason, the Padres became increasingly strong contenders to land at least one of the two players in the last couple of weeks.
San Diego now has some of the most intriguing talent in baseball. The 26-year-old Machado joins a franchise where the likes of big-time prospects like Francisco Mejia, Fernando Tatis Jr., Mackenzie Gore, and Luis Urias are close to a permanent stay in the bigs.
Machado is coming off a 37-homer season in which he also posted a .907 OPS and 141 wRC+, the highest of his career according to FanGraphs. Machado has also posted 21.7 fWAR over the past four years.
The Padres have the centerpiece of their rebuild.
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