Manny Machado signed a record-breaking deal with the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. His new contract is for 10 years and $300 million, the same contract Bryce Harper turned down from the Washington Nationals at the start of this offseason.

It appears that Machado’s slow pace in free agency worked to his advantage. Though he’ll join a lackluster team in San Diego, he was given the largest free agent contract in American sports history.

Machado Signs Record-breaking deal with Padres


It’s reported that the pact also includes a fifth-year opt-out clause. By then, Machado will be only 31 years old and could easily fetch another big contract, assuming the current MLB collective bargaining agreement is renegotiated.

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The Padres now have $528 million in Machado through the 2028 season, Will Myers through 2022 and Eric Hosmer through 2025. All three are expected to still be talented players in two to three years when a crop of new prospects cracks the big league roster.

After a longer free agency than his tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Machado can finally join a team. This paves the way for teams that lost out on the young shortstop to fling cash at Harper. Both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox were reported to be in on either of the pair. After the Machado deal, rumors broke that Harper is unsure about Philly. Now he’s got all the leverage in the world. With spring training only two days away, Harper’s free agency will be an interesting story to follow.

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Bill Piersa

Article by Bill Piersa

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