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Manny Machado has agreed to the biggest free-agent contract in American sports history -- a 10-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres, league sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Tuesday.

Machado, a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner at third base, made $16 million between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles last season.
The deal with the Padres includes an opt-out after the fifth season, sources told Passan.The 26-year-old slugger posted a career-high .905 OPS in 2018, finishing the season with a .297/.367/.538 slash line, 37 home runs, 107 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. In 66 regular-season games with the Dodgers, Machado hit .273 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs.

"[He is] a generational talent," Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer said Monday about the possibility of the team landing Machado or Bryce Harper. "... I think it just shows where this organization is at. Where we're at, at the process right now. We're trying to win baseball games. ... It's exciting, it's motivating."

San Diego, which has missed the playoffs for 12 consecutive seasons, ranked 28th in the majors last season after averaging just 3.8 runs per game.

Machado has hit 30 home runs in each of the past four seasons; only Wil Myers (2017) has surpassed that mark for the Padres during that span. And only six times in Padres history has a player hit more home runs in a season than Machado did in 2018, with the last to do it being Adrian Gonzalez (40) in 2009.

Myers was the last Padres player to start an All-Star Game in 2016, serving in the designated hitter role. The Padres' last position player to start an All-Star Game was Tony Gwynn in 1998.

The Padres have now spent $474 million in free agency over the past two seasons -- tops in the majors. Hosmer signed an eight-year, $144 million deal last offseason.

As a comparison, San Diego had spent a combined $309 million in free agency over the previous 25 seasons, which ranked 27th in the majors.

ESPN's Keith Law ranked the Padres' farm system as the best in baseball entering this season.

Machado's signing immediately registered with oddsmakers, as the Padres' chances to win the World Series improved from 80-1 to 50-1 at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook on Tuesday. In addition, their season win total at the SuperBook jumped from 76.5 to 79.5.
The Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees had also been considered as teams in the running to sign Machado.

White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams told reporters on Tuesday that he was shocked that Machado chose the Padres.

"I'm wearing my shades so you can't see the shock in my eyes," Williams told reporters at White Sox spring training in Glendale, Arizona. "Very surprised. There are a few other words you could put on that, but still in a little bit of disbelief. ... I honestly believe we had the best offer on the table."

Machado spent most of this past season at shortstop, his preferred position, and produced the third-worst Defensive Runs Saved total (minus-13) among the 22 players with enough innings to qualify at that spot. The 26-year-old played a better shortstop upon joining the Dodgers, which gave up five minor leaguers to acquire him from the Orioles on July 18, but his 15-week stint in L.A. was tumultuous.

The former No. 3 overall pick drew incessant criticism for constantly loafing up the first-base line, then fanned the flames when he told Fox Sports during the postseason that hustling is "not my cup of tea."

"He got booed in Baltimore three weeks before we traded for him," the Dodgers' Andrew Friedman said at the general managers meetings on Nov. 6. "It's not like it was a secret. ... I think there are other times where guys do it and they really do care. And by care, I mean the effort they put into their work, the type of teammate they are, and Manny checks all those boxes."

Machado had several big moments with the Dodgers, several of them while the team was fighting for a sixth-consecutive division title in September and a few more during a victorious NL Championship Series. But he hit just .182 in the World Series, committing the final out as the Boston Red Sox won the championship.

Machado was limited to 82 games in 2014, but he has played at least 156 games in each of the past four seasons. He has hit at least 30 home runs and 30 doubles in each of those four seasons, making him one of just two players, along with Colorado's Nolan Arenado, to reach both of those marks every season since 2015.

He has compiled 29 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement since his first full season in the majors in 2013, tied with Joey Votto for sixth among position players since then. Only Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson, Paul Goldschmidt, Mookie Betts and Jose Altuve have a higher WAR in that six-year stretch.

Machado's 175 career home runs is 12 more than the Padres' all-time franchise leader, which is Nate Colbert with 163 -- the lowest total for any active franchise.

Being a Yankee fan I was NEVER in favor of signing this guy for 10 years and 300 million. When he made the hustle comment, it just made it more imperative to ignore this clown. He hit .182 in the World Series last year with no extra base hits. He would have had 1 if he had hustled. I know the Padres supposedly have the best farm system in the majors but I'll wish him the same I wished no hustle Robby Cano when he went to Seattle. "Enjoy the money because you're probably not going to get to the World Series".

Now if Harper can bankrupt the Phillies I will be doubly happy.

BTW, can somebody explain to me how the San Diego Padres can afford to pay Hosmer and Machado and have success in that marketplace but the San Diego Chargers couldn't have success?

[Neil039]

That’s a lotta cash! I’m not a baseball guy, just heard rumblings he’s not a full throttle guy every play.

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I’m not a baseball guy, just heard rumblings he’s not a full throttle guy every play.

His demeanor is typical of a lot of today's MLB stars. There are those who play like they're trying to keep a job. And then there are those who play like they're too good to be fundamentally sound.

[dieterbrock]

Best stat I heard all day, when Machado finishes the 10th year of his contract, he’ll still be younger than Cano is right now

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Best stat I heard all day, when Machado finishes the 10th year of his contract, he’ll still be younger than Cano is right now

But if he's smart (and still productive after 5 years) he'll opt out at age 30 and get one more big deal. If he plays with SD to age 35, what's he going to get then?

Best stat I heard all day.....the Padres have 527 mil invested in Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Will Myers. Whew!!! Anything short of a couple of championships has got to be FAILURE. They're paying Machado, Hosmer, Myers and Kinsler 60.2 mil for 2019 and their highest paid starting pitcher is making $575,000 . LOL

I've read it's Stanton then Machado in richest deals in MLB. But they forgot one other. Ellsbury has made $242,307 per game the last 5 years. 126 million for 520 games. Top that!!!!

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White Sox execs pretty shocked and pissed off Machado signed with the Padres!!! Welcome to the Manny I ain't no Charlie Hustle Machado saga. I get the feeling this isn't going to end well for either party. This reminds me a lot of the Texas Rangers signing A Rod. Huge money. A temporarily attendance draw. In a very short amount of time, a contract (and player) they were extremely desperate to get rid of.....

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What world is this? The Padres did what it took to sign a marquee free agent while the mighty Yankees didn't go all out? Jon Heyman has the details:

He doesn't have the years listed here, but the guess is in that dollar range it was eight years. Machado to the Yankees seemed like a really good fit, but they appear content to go with Luke Voit at first, Gleyber Torres at second, Troy Tulowitzki at short and Miguel Andujar at third until Didi Gregorius is back from Tommy John surgery.


Jon Heyman

@JonHeyman


no evidence NYY ever made official offer to Machado, but word is that at their dinner dec. 19 at Morini on Madison he was given the idea he could get in $220M-$240M range from them. while belief was he wanted to be in NY, ultimately he preferred to go for $. & obvs he got the $.

So glad things went the way they did. IMHO, too much was made of Andujar's defensive shortcomings. He played 149 games in 2018, 144 at 3rd base, 5 at DH. The Yankees won 100 games (92-60 with MA in the lineup). Am I supposed to believe if he played better defense they might have won 105? 110? 115? Bullshit.

I am more inclined to believe, had Aaron Judge played more than 112 games (73-39), the Yankees might have won more games. Had Gary Sanchez not given a damn good impression of Rick Cerone, the Yankees would have won more games. If Greg Bird hadn't been one of the biggest head cases in NYC since....Sonny Gray.....the Yankees would have won more games. Consider all three (and then some) and the Yankees would have won considerably more games.

The Yankees don't need Manny I'm-Not-Johnny-Hustle Machado. They don't need Bryce Harper, though I was intrigued at the possibility of watching him swing for that short porch in right field 300 times. The point is they won 100 games last year and improved their roster for 2019. What they didn't do was spend Aaron Judge's future money on a dogger or another guy with questionable character. They didn't spend Gary Sanchez' future money either. Or Glyber Torres' money. Or Andujar's money. I like the moves they didn't make.

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"I liked the game plan, from ownership to front office to the coaching staff to the players," Machado said. "The whole 'shabam' was so perfect."

LOL. What a crock of shit!!!! The whole "shabam" and the game plan was the $300 million. Manny has been an opera singer from the get go....."me-me-me-me-me".

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From Cashman:

“The free agency process leads people to where they belong, and Manny belongs in San Diego at this time of his career,” general manager Brian Cashman said Friday, a day after the Padres and Machado finalized a $300 million, 10-year deal. “We had some interest in him. That’s why we spent some time engaging Dan Lozano during the process. We certainly had a good meet and greet. I really the enjoyed the company of Manny and his wife.”

LOL. Curious how Boston didn't pursue him. The Yankees didn't pursue him. Is Cashman saying "Bos/NY being in the Northeast and San Diego being in the Southwest, Manny needs to be as far away from NY and Boston as is physically possible"? I agree. Manny belongs...or more apropos, deserves...to be in San Diego.