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Guess Who Just Received the Highest Free-Agent Player Contract in the History of the MLB?

Hint: He played for the Orioles and the Dodgers and now he's with the Padres.

By Vaden ChandlerPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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Manny Machado showing why he now has such a huge contract with the San Diego Padres.

So I'm sitting here in my makeshift office/bedroom trying to make a dime or two for me and my lovely wife, and what do I happen to read in the Wall Street Journal but this - Manny Machado is now the recipient of the largest-ever free agent deal in the history of that great North American sport we call baseball. Manny who? Manny freakin' Machado, that's who!

I have to admit I feel a bit of a tinge of jealousy as I sit here typing away, listening to "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore (the clean version, mind you, because I'm a Liberty Flames Alumni) and realizing that, unlike Machado, I will have to continue going to the "thrift shop." Geez... Manny... I barely even know who you are and you're killing me! I don't know why you couldn't have signed with my beloved Colorado Rockies... oh right, the Montforts are about as tight as those people that shop at Goodwill.

I do have one question though for some of these sports teams owners. Seriously, folks, do these people have some type of money machine in their basements that I'm not aware of? Yes, I'll agree that Mr. Machado is definitely a star and he's definitely Hall-of-Fame caliber, but my gosh, I didn't realize he was THAT good. But they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I guess in the case of the picture I posted above of when Machado was with the Orioles apparently a picture is worth a cool $300 mil. LOL! Here I am sweating it out, hoping I'll get more than 30 reads on this piece simply because it's about the Manny Machado contract, and that guy never has to worry about money ever again. Egad, maybe I should go buy some Powerball tickets or something...

All joking aside, it would appear that this contract is warranted. All you have to do is look at the Manny Machado stats line to see what I'm talking about. At the ripe old age of 26, Machado has a career batting average of .282. He has racked up 513 RBIs and 175 home runs. He has an on-base percentage of .335. But while there is no question these stats are definitely impressive, some might still be scratching their heads. "Sure," they say, "he's got some street cred, but $300 mil over the next ten years?" With that question, I would probably agree. However, Machado's offensive stats alone do not tell the whole story.

So what merited Manny Machado's humongous contract? Here's a hint: the man hasn't even cracked 30 yet and he's already being compared to Orioles great Brooks Robinson. Those in Baltimore know what I'm talking about. Robinson had an incredibly remarkable run with the Orioles from 1960-1975, and he was known for being a defensive wunderkind and mastermind.

Like Robinson, Machado has become known for keeping the opposing team's offense scratching their heads. Machado has won a Golden Glove in 2013 and 2015; Machado has notched the coveted Platinum Glove Award in 2013. When you couple that with the fact that Machado has been an AL all-star a number of times already, it really comes as no surprise that he is now the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball.

Of course, what makes this deal even more compelling is with whom he signed with. Let's face it: the San Diego Padres have definitely not been known as a team that goes after the heavy hitters. However, if some of their other recent moves are any indication, they are seeking to change that. Besides signing Machado, the Padres also inked a deal with former Royals' first baseman Eric Hosmer to an eight-year $144 million deal last year. Couple this with a farm system that has immense depth, and we could very see the San Diego Padres competing in the World Series in the next couple of years.

baseball
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About the Creator

Vaden Chandler

Currently working on a book called "A Little Bird Told Me."

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