Today in sports history (2019), the San Diego Padres won the sweepstakes for All-Star third baseman and shortstop Manny Machado. Machado had built a reputation as one of the best all-around third basemen in the league during his time with Baltimore. After the Dodgers needed another infielder for their World Series run in 2018, they traded for Machado.
In the World Series, Machado hit .182 with no extra base hits. With his contract set to expire at the end of the year, the sweepstakes for the All-Star infielder quickly commenced.
Manny Machado Signs With the Padres
Machado was one of the most coveted MLB free agents at this point, due to his exceptional fielding and power hitting. In the free agency signing period, Manny Machado and the Padres agreed to a 10-year, $300 million deal. Although this was not the largest contract in the history of baseball at the time, Machado was finally validated as one of the best players in the MLB.
Adding him into the lineup with players such as Fernando Tatis Jr and Chris Paddack helped San Diego finish their rebuild. The rebuild in fact came to an end, when the Padres signed Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. With the emergence of Tatis, placing Machado right behind him in the batting order has produced positive results.
In his time with the Padres, Machado has hit .273 with 76 home runs and 238 RBIs. The 29-year-old is also partnered with the aforementioned Tatis, creating the best left side infield in the MLB. With the addition of Machado, San Diego fans started to regain hope that the team could get back to the World Series.
Injuries have plagued the Padres the last couple of years, including Tatis and Darvish. Competing against the Dodgers and the Giants in the NL West is not the easiest feat, but with Manny Machado helping that rebuild, Padres’ fans should have a spectacle to watch as long as Machado and Tatis stay in southern California.
