It wouldn’t quite be a blind date, but a mysterious one at least.
The Padres, late entering the Manny Machado sweepstakes (sleepstakes?), have expressed interest in sitting down with the free-agent slugger, The Athletic reported Saturday. They want a closer look at the 26-year-old who surprisingly is not yet scooped up in an offseason in which he reportedly envisioned receiving a deal around 10 years and $300 million.
For months, the only stated interested teams have been the Yankees, White Sox and Phillies. The Yankees appear out of the hunt after signing DJ LeMahieu and Troy Tulowitzki, along with allotting their spending toward the bullpen. The Phillies may favor Bryce Harper, and the White Sox’s offer was reported to be just seven years at $175 million, though his agent, Dan Lozano, blasted the report.
The Padres may be the mystery team that steps in at the last moment. And they aren’t just linked to one star but two; MLB.com reported they were after Miami catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Machado, who has played shortstop and third base in the majors, is a career .282 hitter with 175 home runs and 513 RBIs. He twice has been in the top five in Most Valuable Player voting.
Last season, he hit .297 with a career-high-tying 37 home runs and career-high 107 RBIs combined between the Orioles and Dodgers. He also sported a .367 on-base percentage, above his .335 career average, and his .538 slugging percentage exceeded his career figure of .487.
As for Realmuto, the Padres have young catcher Francisco Mejia, whom the Marlins reportedly covet. The rival Los Angeles Dodgers are also said to be in pursuit of Realmuto.
Last season, Realmuto hit .277, with an on-base percentage of .340. His 21 home runs and 74 RBIs were career highs. He has asked Miami to trade him before spring training begins.
The Padres have been building up their farm system in recent years and haven’t posted a winning season since 2010. Nobody currently sees them as a contender in the National League West for 2019, but signing a big-name free agent or two would speed up the timetable.
Just last year, San Diego made a splash by signing free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer to an eight-year, $144 million deal.
–With Field Level Media
