According to reports from ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Mark Feisand of MLB.com, the San Diego Padres have agreed to terms with free-agent infielder Manny Machado on a massive contract.
Believed to be a 10-year contract worth $300 million, the deal is the biggest free-agent contract in the history of American sports.
The deal includes an opt-out clause which Machado can exercise after the fifth year.
Last season, Machado had 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. The Padres haven’t had a hitter with 30-plus homers and a .900 OPS since Adrian Gonzalez in 2010.
The White Sox, who also made the 26-year-old a lucrative offer, were reportedly shocked they were turned down in favor of the Padres because they made a higher offer.
But, according to Feisand, Machado wasn’t necessarily going to go with the highest bidder.
“The highest offer was not a lock to get Machado,”Feisand wrote on Twitter. “He wanted a place he and his wife would be happiest, with a team he felt best about moving forward. Great farm system w/Padres and San Diego is a pretty nice place to live.”
With Machado now on a roster for next season and the foreseeable future, all eyes are now on Bryce Harper, the other big name on the free-agent market.
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