The multiple-month freeze that’s been MLB free agency thawed a bit on Tuesday morning with news of Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres agreeing to a 10-year, $300 million contract. The deal leaves Bryce Harper as the undisputed top free agent still available.
Harper and Machado each went into the offseason seeking long-term deals worth at least $300 million. However, a second consecutive winter of tight spending from clubs, suggested those terms were unattainable.
The two superstar free agents received plenty of reported interest, and in some cases from identical teams. The Padres qualify as such despite being late entrants into the market.
And though they have agreed to a lucrative contract with Machado, the Padres remain open to signing Harper as well, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred:
Padres are pulling off one surprise (once Manny’s finalized) but here’s another shocker : they aren’t ruling out Bryce Harper, too. 110M payroll (with MM) is still lower than most.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 19, 2019
While pulling off two marquee signings in a single offseason would be ambitious for any team, Padres general manager A.J. Preller does have an aggressive reputation.
As it stands, the Padres are now just the third team in MLB history to sign a free agent to contract worth at least $140 million in consecutive years; Eric Hosmer’s eight-year, $144 million contract last offseason marked the Padres’ first big spending spree. His deal was the richest in the franchise’s history at that time.
While San Diego may continue to pursue Harper, recent indications were the Philadelphia Phillies had emerged as the frontrunner.
