The long-awaited sweepstakes are finally over. Manny Machado will indeed be on a major league roster in 2019. The beneficiary will be the San Diego Padres.
The deal was broken by ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan at 12:24 p.m.
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
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com leapfrogged off of this report by announcing that the two parties agreed on a 10-year deal worth $300 million. As a result, Machado has signed the biggest free-agent contract in the history of American sports.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Padres simply outbid everyone in order to get their man. However, a physical still stands in the way of the deal being official.
Machado spent 2018 between the last place Baltimore Orioles and the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers, where he combined to slash .297/.367/.538 with 37 home runs and 107 RBI. However, comments about his hustling and high salary demands caused teams to shy away from the superstar infielder.
The Padres have now made splashes in back-to-back seasons; signing Eric Hosmer last winter, and Manny Machado this afternoon. Many don’t expect San Diego to be World Series contenders in 2019, but Machado has joined a young roster that appears ready to contend in the future.
