Landing Manny:
The Padres had to wait awhile to meet with Machado, but the sides then made a deep connection.
PEORIA, Ariz. – The Padres, celebrating one of the most glorious days in franchise history last week with the signing of Manny Machado, couldn’t help but pinch themselves in utter disbelief.
When you drop $300 million, you shouldn’t be surprised when you can sign a player of Machado’s talent.
Still, up until Machado’s camp leaked the word that he was signing with the Padres, the team was preparing plans to pursue another free agent or even a trade.
The Padres were caught off guard, unaware he even accepted their offer, and until the leak were never convinced he was coming to San Diego.
It took nearly three weeks for them to even get an audience with Machado’s representatives. They were told that unless they were willing to talk about a deal for at least $250 million, there was no point in talking.
Until mid-January, they never seriously entertained any thoughts of signing Machado, believing he’d be out of their price range. They instead were active in the trade market. They had extensive talks with the Yankees about Miguel Andujar, who was runner-up in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, hitting .297 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI. Yet he also had a .948 fielding percentage, second lowest among third basemen who played 100 games.
The Padres wound up passing on Andujar but recognized the irony that if they had acquired him, Machado easily might have been having a news conference this same day, only in Tampa with the Yankees, who were believed to be Machado’s first choice.
“We had a lot of trade talks with different teams,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said, “but it’s not as if we ever got to the 2-yard line with any team.”
Besides, this was the move that cost only a whole lot of dollars, not prospects, helping the Padres go from a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2010 to one that has playoff visions.
“We have a bit of realism. There’s a lot of growth in our young players that’s still yet to come,” said Peter Seidler, the Padres’ managing partner, “but what I can promise you that when that ballclub takes the field on March 28, they will expect to be a playoff team.”
Hello playoff expectations, it’s Manny.
He is among the greatest all-around third basemen of his generation and showed off his shortstop prowess last season, but the dude can’t pitch, no matter how many fish tacos he can now buy.
Machado, 26, won’t make any promises about how quickly the Padres can reach the postseason. It’s been a dozen years and counting. But he did vow in front of a dozen TV cameras and networks that, despite his infamous Fox interview that he’s not “Johnny Hustle,” he will indeed be giving everything he possibly has each and every day he puts on a Padres uniform.
“I’m a winner; I’m a gamer,” said Machado, who will play third base in San Diego. “I’ve loved to play the game since I was a little boy.
“I leave it all on the field. That’s only thing we can control.”
This will be the first time in his young career that he will be asked to be a mentor. When he was in Baltimore, the clubhouse leaders were Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy. He had Chase Utley during his three-month stint with the Dodgers.
Now, he’s the man, with prized prospects including Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias looking up to him for leadership.
“I just want to come in here as a 26year-old veteran, try to give my knowledge to these guys,” Machado said, “and hopefully get back to the playoffs for the city of San Diego and bring a championship.”
The Padres wouldn’t have dished out $300 million — $30M annually through 2028 — if they didn’t believe in Machado. They did their homework. They talked to about 60 people in the Orioles and Dodgers organizations about Machado. They talked to his friends. Family members. Clubhouse attendants.
“The more we checked on him,” Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler said, “the more excited we got. They knew a lot about us, too. They knew about the organization. They knew where our priorities were with family. I think that helped us sign him. “Obviously, $300 million didn’t hurt.” Realistically, it likely will be years before the Padres can knock off the Dodgers, winners of six consecutive NL West titles. Ideally, they’d have waited a year before jumping in with the largest free agent contract in baseball history.
“In a perfect world he would have been available next year,” Fowler said, “but he’s not. So you have to do what’s best for your team long term. He’s a generational talent.”
And the Padres, who weren’t a factor in the Machado sweepstakes a month ago, couldn’t sit idly by and watch him sign with the White Sox, whose final offer was eight years, $250 million, with two $35 million options for years nine and 10.
“I’m much happier as to where we are now,” Fowler said, “than where the White Sox are.”
Said Machado, “Since Day 1, we knew it was the right fit for me and my wife to be here. We’re very excited to be here, and start this new journey of our lives, to take on that San Diego weather and take on this team.”
“Yeah, and $300 million didn’t hurt either,” quipped Fowler.
If the Padres start to win, look out. “This is just the beginning,” Machado says. “Ten more years. Ten more years.”