And the Winners of the Manny Machado Sweepstakes are... The San Diego Padres?

Where to begin…

I’m truly torn as I sit here. I just spent the last three days driving across Canada, so I suppose I could chalk a large portion of the writing confusion I’m currently experiencing to that. However, the more likely cause of the conundrum I face is the fact that the highest free agent contract in North American sports history (until Bryce Harper tops it soon) is going to this player, and its coming from this team.

$300 Million… 10 years… Manny Machado… San Diego Padres…

Like I said, where to begin.

I guess I could start with Machado. Manny, the 26 year old Floridian with Dominican roots who has just embodied the proverb of “timing is everything.” Don’t get me wrong here, Manny Machado is an elite talent to be sure, and over the past four seasons he has been the model of consistency. Over 30 home runs, around the 100 RBI mark, and stellar defense at both third base and short has been the standard he has set for himself, and Manny shows no signs of slowing down…

Except for when he literally slows down.

300 million bucks for anyone is still completely insane to me. I know I’ll have to get over that, but that’s not the point here. 300 million bucks for a guy that refuses to sprint to first base on soft ground balls, showboats his way to a 400 foot base-hit because in his mind he plastered a no-doubter, charges mounds, slides dirty, tries to trample the ankles of defenseless players in the playoffs, and is just generally regarded by many around the league as a dirty player? Well, that just ain’t right.

This is the man that broke the free agency record? That, at least for one sweet moment, quieted the cries of collusion in Major League Baseball? This is the guy that is expected to be the face of the long awaited rise of the San Diego Padres (the least interesting team in baseball since the turn of the century)?

I will hold all personal opinions of Machado in order to objectively and correctly answer these questions in concert…

Yes. A million times yes.

Like him or not, dirty player or not, the man is good. In addition, the Padres are frequently regarded as having the best farm in the majors. In what has felt like a perpetual rebuild since the 1990s, San Diego has now splashed in the free agency pool in consecutive years, as they reached desperately for the services of one Eric Hosmer just one offseason ago. With one Machado signature on the dotted line the Padres have transformed from one of many current joke teams in the MLB to a team we should all be keeping a close eye on for years to come.

I feel a bit nuts for not having made this next statement until this deep in the article. But again, there were just too many places to begin…

The San Diego freaking Padres got Manny Machado?

How is this even remotely possible in baseball? How does this irresistible free agent not land in the Bronx? Not land in Boston? In Chicago? The Cubbies say they have no more money to spend? Aren’t they the third most valuable franchise in the sport? Sounds more like a management team that cries itself to sleep at night over Yu Darvish and Jason Heyward. Can’t say I blame them. I guess if there is one negative of being a major market team in a league with no salary cap it’s that you can be made to look really, really, really stupid.

The fact is, despite my personal dislike for the player, I couldn’t be happier with the result. For one thing, The Padres are all San Diego has left. In taking the two-hour trip up the I-5 to Los Angeles, Philip Rivers and the Chargers left a void in what I know to be an excellent sports city.

More importantly, this is just a massive victory for the “little guys.” With Anthony Davis’ trade request in the NBA serving as a harsh reminder that small market teams can’t make poor supplementary deals and hope to keep their superstars, this deal goes straight to the win column for the “less than” teams. A franchise that has refused to really go for it for as long as I can remember breaking the North American free agent spending record can have nothing but a positive impact on the league going forwards. Now, would I spend $300 Million on a superstar with obvious character flaws apparent on the field of play? No. But someone had to, and I’m glad to see that the rich getting richer is no longer a foregone conclusion in baseball.

Finally, and most importantly, this can and should serve as the wake up call Major League Baseball so very much needs. Remember last year? When J.D. Martinez couldn’t get a job? And the Red Sox seemingly just said “alright fine we’ll take him,” and then he got serious MVP consideration despite not playing defense? Or, how about now? With Spring Training starting this week and Bryce Harper, along with an extremely appealing veteran pool that includes the likes of Adam Jones, currently rocking the unemployment line? The major teams in the sport passing on offering  big money deals to superstars is the greatest thing that could possibly happen to the smaller markets of baseball… is this simply a case of the Padres being the first to realize this?! The Yankees could’ve given Machado $600 Million if they wanted to, but they didn’t…

With Machado and Hosmer steadying the middle of the order, and a prospect pool highlighted by the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias on the rise, the Padres are well on their way. Lets not get carried away though, this is still the NL West. The Dodgers are still miles ahead in pitching, spots 4 through 2 in the batting order, and have much deeper pockets. The Diamondbacks appear poised for a step backwards, but the Rockies aren’t going anywhere and the Giants will be back (just too much money and willingness to spend for them not to be). However, The Padres have a real opportunity here to show that their ability to build from within has been unparalled in recent years should this elite looking prospect pool pan out, and with Machado they now they have a true, elite, franchise player to build around and to be the face of the operation. My only hope is that he realizes how great the situation he just walked into is, grows up a bit, and becomes a true leader for a franchise that so desperately needs one.

For Machado, all he has to do is play. He has entered the ultimate low risk, high reward scenario. The Padres have been a laughing stock for decades. If Machado leads a resurgence, he’s a hero. If they toil in mediocrity during his tenure, it’s just the Padres being the Padres.

To all you small market teams ----The big boys are giving you all a gift. The Padres called their bluff, and landed a superstar. It doesn’t make sense, but its great for the league. I truly hope the big spenders continue to drag their heels on these massive signings. If it keeps leading to results like this one, baseball can only get better.