Machado signs
San Diego gives Manny Machado $300 million in 10year deal.
With their city’s long-suffering fans desperate for a winner, the rebuilding San Diego Padres delivered their splashiest free agent signing by agreeing with All-Star infielder Manny Machado on a $300 million, 10-year deal.
Machado can opt out after five years and become a free agent again.
Machado’s agreement would be the second largest in baseball history behind Giancarlo Stanton’s $325 million, 13-year deal signed with the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2015 season.
It would also be the highest deal for a free agent, topping Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million, 10-year contract with the New York Yankees from 2008-17.
Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler declined to confirm the deal, saying: “We do not have a deal with any free agent player. We are continuing discussions, and that’s all we have to say.”
Teams draw a distinction between an agreement subject to a physical and a finalized deal.
While Fowler looked serious, general partner Peter Seidler couldn’t help but smile.
Without confirming the deal, Seidler — a nephew of former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley — spoke of what his ownership group wants to bring to San Diego.
“Ron and I, we love the city of San Diego, we love sports in San Diego, but we’re also well aware of the history.
“There’s never been a championship from a major sports franchise in San Diego . ... We as an organization want to completely change that.
“We want our franchise to win year after year after year. And we’re going to do whatever we can rationally do to help make that happen.”
Brewers
Mike Moustakas fell one win shy of reaching the World Series with Milwaukee last season. “I think we had some unfinished business after last year,” Moustakas said after finalizing a $10 million, one-year deal with the Brewers. “We fell a little bit short, obviously, but I feel like this team can get back to where we were at last year and make a push for the World Series.”
Elsewhere
Don Newcombe, the hardthrowing Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who was one of the first black players in the major leagues and who won the rookie of the year, most valuable player and Cy Young awards, has died. He was 92. See obituary, Page B-3.