The San Diego Padres on Thursday made official what pretty much the entire Major League Baseball world has known over the past few days.
The team announced that it has indeed signed star infielder Manny Machado to a whopping 10-year, $300 million contract — confirming earlier reports.
“Manny Machado is a generational talent, and we’re ecstatic that he’s chosen to spend his prime years in a San Diego Padres uniform,” Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler and General Partner Peter Seidler said, via the team’s official website. “This momentous agreement speaks volumes to the direction of our organization, as well as our commitment to bringing a World Series Championship to the Friar Faithful and the City of San Diego.”
Machado, 26, was right up there with Bryce Harper as the most-coveted free agent this winter. It was a whirlwind of sorts after Machado finished up last season as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
From the Padres’ perspective, this signing is certainly not the norm for the usually frugal organization. Though, it could work wonders in the team’s attempted return to relevance.