Before Monday’s game, the Padres should’ve handed the baseball to a tax lawyer. Rented a Brink’s truck to transport relievers. Etched dollar signs into outfield grass.
The National League had never seen so much money tied up in two players, as it did Monday night at Petco Park.
Manny Machado, of the Padres, is in the first year of a 10-year contract worth $300 million.
Bryce Harper, of the Phillies, is in the first year of a 13-year contract worth $330 million.
That’s $630 million, with every dollar guaranteed.
Baseball economics are tough for ordinary folks to understand, acknowledged Larry Bowa, a former Phillies player and manager who’s a special adviser to the team’s general manager.