Manny Machado has been at the top of the watch list for many fans looking at their team to sign him. Once his season wrapped up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, everyone turned to him as one of the top guys changing teams. The extraordinarily long wait for his decision has finally come, with 9 days to go in February.
Manny Machado has spurned the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies and he’s decided to sign with the San Diego Padres. And what’s the deal he’s getting? The largest free agent contract in American Professional Sports is heading to the four-time All-Star infielder.
Following comes from Jeff Passan of ESPN and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
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
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
Manny Machado's deal, as @Feinsand first reported, is for 10 years and $300 million with an opt-out after the fifth season.
A monumental deal — the single biggest free agent contract in American sports history.
And now every eye in baseball turns to Bryce Harper. His move.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2019
How does Machado’s deal stack up against others? It’s mostly infield baseball players that have garnered this kind of cash.
Alex Rodriguez held the record for the biggest free agent contract when he inked a deal with the New York Yankees in 2008 for 10 years, $275 million. Robinson Cano and Albert Pujols both elected to leave a team they won a World Series with – Cano left the Yankees and Pujols left the St. Louis Cardinals – to sign new deals with teams on the West Coast. Pujols signed a deal with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012 and Cano inked a deal with the Mariners in 2014, both signed 10-year, $240 million deals.
Machado, 26, is coming into his seventh MLB season in 2019. The shortstop was originally called up by the Baltimore Orioles in 2012 and he played there for almost six seasons before he was traded to the Dodgers for LA’s run to the postseason. Machado has been named an All-Star four times and won the gold glove two times. He’s still young but the accolades don’t stack up and he carries around some baggage with him dating back to his days in Baltimore. He’s for not being the easiest player to work with.
