Whether there was any internal disagreement about whether the Philadelphia Phillies were better suited issuing a historic contract to Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, that debate is now over. Machado, a four-time All-Star, is heading to the San Diego Padres, per ESPN‘s Jeff Passan. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand says the deal will be a 10-year/$300 million deal, one that Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports says will include a player opt-out after year five, which would allow Machado to re-enter free-agency when he’s 31.
In an offseason where Dan Lozano, Machado’s agent, had to issue a stern response to reports that Machado’s best offer at one point was seven years and $175 million, securing a deal that for the time being is record-breaking is a hell of an outcome.