Dodgers News: San Diego Padres keep Manny Machado in the NL West
Former Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado has signed with the San Diego Padres.
BREAKING: Free agent star Manny Machado has agreed to a deal with the San Diego Padres, league sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 19, 2019
As one of the biggest free agents this offseason, Machado signed the biggest free-agent contract in the history of American sports with a 10-year, $300 million contract.
The deal isn’t official and is still pending a physical evaluation, along with finalizing the terms of the contract, according to Ken Rosenthal.
This likely is semantics. Machado has not passed a physical and the two sides have not finalized language. But they are in agreement on financial terms. https://t.co/j4kcZZBRg1
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 19, 2019
With the top ranked farm system in the league, Machado will take the field at Petco Park with some of the best young talent in the game in the likes of Luis Urias and top shortstop prospect Fernando Tatis Jr.
The Gold Glove winner will also share the infield with World Series champion Eric Hosmer, who the Padres signed last offseason with an 8-year, $144 million contract.
With the Padres landing Machado, it will keep him in the NL West after he spent three regular season months and a postseason with divisional rivals, the Dodgers.
According to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, Machado has an opt-out option after the fifth year.
https://twitter.com/tbrownyahoo/status/1097912781360099328?s=12
In those first five years of the contract, the Padres are now expected to catapult to the top of the division with fresh young talent and veteran expertise.
The dismantling of the Arizona Diamondbacks and downward trend of the San Francisco Giants only leaves three competitors for divisional title: the Padres, Rockies and the Dodgers.
The Dodgers seemingly didn’t make an offer to Machado during the offseason since their shortstop Corey Seager was recovering from Tommy John surgery on schedule.
As a member of the Dodgers, Machado had a .273/.338/.487 slash line in 267 regular season at-bats with 13 home runs and 42 runs batted in.
Now, Bryce Harper stands as the lone mega free agent who hasn’t reported to Spring Training.
YASIEL PUIG SAYS HE DIDN’T WORK HARD FOR DODGERS THE PAST COUPLE YEARS
The Padres don’t have a bad team in and neither do the giants quite frankly. It’s going to be a 3 team race
The division run for the Dodgers pretty much is over and Dodgers still do not have one real bonafied super star on the team.
The Dodgers have the next two seasons almost on lock down, as long as the Rockies dont make a serious run. Even if San Diego also added Harper, they would need 2-3 years to be considered a serious contender.If Machado is a 6 WAR guy, then the Padres MAYBE win 80-85 games…and that still puts them well behind the Dodgers’ projections. They just dont have the pitching to win a division yet.
This current Dodger roster is better and deeper than the 2017 team that won 104 games. The quintet of Martin, Freese, Muncy, Pollock and Verdugo is significantly better than Grandal, Utley, Forsythe, Puig and Ethier. The ’19 pitching staff is also preferable, at least going into the season. Should be a fun season.
Stop with how Verdugo is the real deal type player. He is not proven and another LHB Muncy should be in the AL since he’s adefensive liability and Bellinger belongs at 1st. This team in 2019 so far IS NOT deeper than 2017 AND that 2017 did quite well against LHP, unlike 2016 and last year.
Mark this date down because in 3 years the Padres will be trying to figure a way out of the mess they just got themselves into. After that they will be praying that he uses the opt-out after year 5. Yes Machado is a great player but he, and his contract, will become an albatross for this small market team.
I hope the Dodgers do Not take the NL West Division title for granted. The rest of the NL West would love to dethrown the Dodgers. I’ve read what the so-called experts say, Arizona lost key players, SF is old, the Padres added Machado, but don’t have enough pitching. That leaves the Rockies which took the Dodgers to game 163 for the division. This is exactly the scenario where the Dodgers could “fall on their face” and lose the division.
Hello Robin. And you are SPOT ON with your comments here. And if they struggle within the division this year, your last sentence could very well happen.
I agree with CNB, except that Machado is not a great player, rather a gifted athlete who never plays at 100% of his ability.
This is the third year in a row and fourth time in five years Padres ownership has handed out the largest contract in team history……and it still has not helped them get out of last place……….I don’t think the results of this one will be any different. I just cannot figure a guy chasing money so hard that he doesn’t mind losing all the time………some people just want money and do not care about winning.