Manny Machado has joined Aaron Judge on the list of the biggest contracts in Major League Baseball (MLB) after signing a 10-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres. Machado’s deal is the third-largest in MLB history, behind the $325 million deal that Judge signed with the New York Yankees in 2019 and the $330 million deal that Giancarlo Stanton signed with the Miami Marlins in 2014.
Machado’s deal is the biggest ever given to a free agent, surpassing the $240 million deal that Bryce Harper signed with the Philadelphia Phillies last year. Machado’s deal also makes him the highest-paid player in Padres history, surpassing the $144 million deal that the team gave first baseman Eric Hosmer last year.
The biggest contract in MLB history still belongs to Alex Rodriguez, who signed a 10-year, $275 million deal with the Yankees in 2007. Rodriguez’s deal is still the largest in terms of total value, but it is no longer the largest in terms of average annual salary, as Machado’s deal has a higher average salary ($30 million per year).
Despite Machado’s deal, the Yankees still have the most expensive payroll in the league. They have four players in the top 10 highest paid players, including Judge, Stanton, and Rodriguez.
Surprisingly, the biggest contract of the 2019-20 offseason did not make the top 10 list. Pitcher Gerrit Cole signed a nine-year, $324 million deal with the Yankees, but his average annual salary of $36 million was not enough to crack the top 10.
The biggest contracts in MLB history have all been given to position players. Pitchers have not been able to command the same type of money as hitters, although Cole’s deal is a sign that this could be changing.
Overall, Machado’s deal is a sign that MLB teams are willing to spend big money on free agents. It also shows that the Yankees are still the team to beat when it comes to signing the biggest stars in the game.
