Back in the great free agent pursuit of 2019, the two biggest names on the market were Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. Despite the Phillies being linked to both men, and some crazy rumors that they’d sign both of them, Harper ended up with the Phillies, while Machado headed to San Diego.
Many people mocked Machado’s decision, saying that he opted for nice weather and a relatively low pressure environment instead of going someplace that he’d have a chance to be a perennial winner.
As it turned out, Machado may have made the wise choice.