Manny Machado has finally found a new home as he’s heading down the I-5 to play with the San Diego Padres after signing a 10-year $300 million megadeal.
The 26-year-old Machado, who is likely to play at third base, is a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner at the position. He’s spent most of his career with the Baltimore Orioles before being shipped last year to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the trade deadline.
With his new deal, Machado gets the biggest free-agent contract in American sports history after making $16 million between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles last season.
Last season Machado posted a career-high .905 OPS in 2018, finishing the season with a .297 batting average, 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.
The Padres hope Machado will help them accelerate their return to the postseason as they have missed the playoffs for 12 seasons in a row and ranked 28th in the majors last year after averaging just 3.8 runs per game.
After Machado’s deal was in place Westgate SuperBook increased San Diego’s World Series odds from 80-1 to 50-1. Meanwhile, its over-under win total jumped from 76.5 to 79.5.
Machado, who has hit 30-plus home runs in each of the past four seasons, signed with the Padres exactly one year to the date after inking Eric Hosmer for $144 million.
The Padres, who are known for having one of the finest farm systems in baseball, have now spent $474 million in free agency over the past two seasons, most in the majors, which is more than what they spent on two players in their previous 25 offseasons combined.
The attention of the baseball world now shifts to Bryce Harper, the other big free agent of this offseason who remains unsigned and is rumored to have an offer from the Philadelphia Phillies. With Machado’s deal in place, he’s now guaranteed a contract that will at least match the conditions of the Machado deal.
