Manny Machado Has Reportedly Agreed To A Massive Deal With The San Diego Padres

Major League Baseball’s snail-like free agent market has finally picked up the pace, and just in the nick of time. With all 30 teams having already reported to spring training, one of the games two top superstar free agents has found a new home.

Manny Machado has agreed to deal with the San Diego Padres, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Machado was traded by the Baltimore Orioles, where he spent the first seven years of his career, to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, where he helped LA reach the World Series. Yet despite heavy rumored interest from teams like the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees, both Machado and Bryce Harper, two of MLB’s premier players, remained unsigned. Now Machado has received the largest free agent deal in American sports.
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Machado’s 10-year, $300 million contract has an opt-out after five years, per Yahoo’s Tim Brown.

Machado caught some flack during the 2018 NLCS when he jogged to first base after grounding out to Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia. When asked about his apparent lack of hustle, he then made his infamous “Johnny Hustle” comments.

“Obviously I’m not going to change. I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle’ and run down the line and slide to first base and … you know, whatever can happen,” Machado said. “That’s just not my personality, that’s not my cup of tea, that’s not who I am.”

Machado soon backtracked, and made a point to let teams know he was willing to discuss the situation in his free agency meetings. Now he finally has a new team, though the Padres have not made any official announcement.

Assuming the signing does indeed get done, MLB will now turn its attention to Harper.