A $300 million deal shook San Diego, signaling a bold new era. Relive the historic day the Padres signed Manny Machado, changing their franchise forever.
In 2018, San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller did something somewhat unheard of: He landed a big-ticket free agent.
Eric Hosmer came to San Diego on an eight-year, $144 million contract. And, a year later, the Padres landed top free agent Manny Machado.
Machado had begun his career with the Baltimore Orioles, but he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2018 MLB trade deadline.
Then, the Padres inked Machado to a 10-year, $300 million deal, marking the biggest deal in franchise history and the beginning of a new chapter where the team spent money left and right, although the Los Angeles Dodgers are spending way more than the Padres and everybody else.
In fact, on February 19, 2019, the Padres and Machado agreed to a deal, with ESPN's Jeff Passan dropping the news.
At the time, reactions came pouring out from everybody, especially with some in disbelief that the Padres - who had been known for trading away top talent for prospects and not spending in free agency - spent $300 million on one single player.
On the day, which some fans call a Mannyversary, they remembered this moment.
Nearly eight years later, Machado has been a very important part of the Padres team, lineup and clubhouse.
Machado played in 156 regular-season games in 2019, his first year in San Diego, and 60 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
In total, Machado has played in 150 or more games in five of the six seasons with that many games, with the COVID year not being counted towards that statistic.
Machado made the National League All-Star team in 2021 and 2022, then again in 2025, giving him a total of seven All-Star nominations in his MLB career.
Machado also had his first 100-RBI season, which came in 2021 and then 2022, and he did it again in 2024 with 95 RBIs a season ago.
For many, many years, the Padres' free agency spending was minimal, although they brought in James Shields on a four-year, $75 million contract a few years before that.
But, spending $300 million on a free agent is something fans might never have thought of for San Diego, yet it became a reality when Machado decided to come to America's Finest City and played third base for the Padres.
Now, he enters his eighth season with San Diego, and it looks to be a good move still even years later.