Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the San Diego Padres have signed coveted free agent shortstop Manny Machado. Further reports have set Machado’s contract at 10 years, $300 million (per Mark Feinsand) with an opt-out after the fifth season (per Tim Brown). As it stands now, it is the richest contract in major league history, however, that is likely to be short-lived as Machado was one of two big dominos yet to fall. The other being Bryce Harper, a Scott Boras client.
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
The Padres are yet to confirm this deal, with executive chairman Ron Fowler claiming that the Padres “do not have a deal” yet with Machado, but rather are “continuing discussions.” However, it does seem as if Manny Machado will be a Padre sooner rather than later.
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Machado is entering his eighth Major League season as a career .282 hitter with 175 home runs and 513 RBIs. He spent the majority of his seven-year career with the Orioles until a trade during the middle of last season saw him finish the year out with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Machado took the final swing of 2018 in the World Series against Boston, striking out to clinch the series for the Red Sox.
In 2018, Machado tied a career-high with 37 home runs and set a new career mark with 107 RBIs—the only time he has surpassed the 100 RBI mark. In addition, he set career highs in batting average (.297), on-base percentage (.367), slugging percentage (.538), and OPS (.905). Machado will now join a team that finished dead-last in the NL West with a 66-96 record. There were only a handful of teams with a worse record in all of the Majors last year, one of which was Machado’s former team, the Baltimore Orioles.
Despite the poor showing in 2018, Machado could prove to be a crucial cog in a potentially talent-laden infield for the Padres. First baseman Eric Hosmer, last season’s free agent signee, led the team with 69 RBIs followed closely by Freddy Galvis with 67. In addition, they have the #2 ranked prospect in all of baseball, Fernando Tatis Jr., waiting in the pipeline and set to make is major league debut in the near future.
