The San Diego Padres made official the hiring of American infielder of Dominican origin Manny Machado, who signed the most lucrative contract in the history of American sports by committing himself to 10 years and 300 million dollars.
Machado will be presented to the media on Friday at the team’s training camp in Arizona.
“Manny Machado is a generational talent and we are delighted that he chose us to spend his best years in the San Diego Padres uniform,” CEO Ron Fowler said in a statement.
“This agreement speaks highly of the direction of our organization as well as our commitment to bring the World Series title to our stadium and to the city of San Diego,” he added.
Third baseman was the most sought-after free agent left in the market alongside outfielder Bryce Harper, who could surpass Machado’s amount in the coming days.
Machado’s agreement with the Padres includes a clause whereby the player could exit his contract after the fifth season and has a partial clause whereby he could not be traded without his consent.
A four-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner, the Dominican-born made $ 16 million last season playing for the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers, whom he joined in July after a trade that included five. players.
The Californians fell in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Machado had the best season of his career in 2018, hitting .297 with 37 homers, 107 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. In 66 meetings with the Dodgers, he hit .273, with 13 homers and 42 RBI’s.
However, his track record in the final cast doubt on him by dropping his performance to a poor .182.
In 926 total games over seven seasons, Machado has sent her over the wall 175 times and sealed 513 runs.
The Padres, for their part, will need all the help possible after a disastrous 2018, with a record of 66-96, the second worst in the entire National League. In addition, they have not had a positive balance since 2010 and have not reached the playoffs since 2006. Their last appearance in the World Series dates from 1998, when they lost to the New York Yankees.