MLB commissioner Rob Manfred was pleased with Manny Machado's decision to sign with the Padres on Tuesday, and cited his happiness regarding one of baseball's biggest stars landing outside a premier market.
"The Padres were active last year," Manfred told reporters. "It's good for baseball to have big stars present in smaller markets."
Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with San Diego on Tuesday. The Padres signed Eric Hosmer to an eight-year, $144 million contract in Feb. 2018, but ranked No. 24 in payroll last season. They were one of 11 teams to spend under $125 million in 2018, while the Red Sox led all teams with $227 million worth of contracts, per Spotrac.