SAN DIEGO -- The industry's executives and agents filed out of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in clusters late Wednesday afternoon, leaving behind the madness of an event that had somehow exceeded lofty expectations of extravagance. Major League Baseball's winter meetings, back for the first time in three years, had seen money flow and precedents buckle -- but one final stunner remained. It came Wednesday night, while most of the sport's movers and shakers sat inside airplanes bound for their respective home cities. The San Diego Padres, a midmarket team that already possessed enviable infield depth and a massive payroll, agreed on an 11-year, $280 million contract with Xander Bogaerts, one of the premier shortstops on the free agent market.
'I'm totally speechless': Inside the $1.6 billion spending spree that rocked MLB's winter meetings
