Former MLB executive says Manny Machado deal was a “straight overpay”

Former Miami Marlins president David Samson told me this week on the Talking Friars podcast that the San Diego Padres giving Manny Machado a ten-year, $300 million contract was a “straight overpay”.

Samson also said that Machado came to San Diego only because of the money and that he didn’t actually do research on San Diego’s farm system. “There was no other team offering Machado. The reason he signed with San Diego as you recall, he took the stage and Manny said, ‘I chose the Padres because I studied their farm system and I liked their farm system’. And that was just a bunch of horse-hockey,” Samson said. “He got the highest offer from the Padres by a lot. He wanted the $30 million AAV. He got it. He signed immediately. The farm system could’ve been you, me and dopey makes three and he would’ve signed that deal.”

To be factual, the Padres looks like they were the only $300 million offer but Machado was offered an eight-year contract by the Chicago White Sox before he took San Diego’s offer, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. White Sox executive vice president, Kenny Williams, even thought they had the best offer, as he told reporters after Machado signed that Chicago believed they “were the high[est] offer on the table”.

Since Machado has arrived in San Diego in 2019, he has hit 76 home runs, drove in 238 runs, and hit .273 in 369 regular season games. He also has reached one All-Star Game (2020), placed top three in the MVP once (2020) and has taken home a Silver Slugger award (2020). He was a finalist for the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove as well in 2021.

Last season, FanGraphs said Machado was worth $35.2 million, which means he actually was underpaid for his performance, not overpaid.

Personally, if Machado’s deal was an overpay then what do we call Gerrit Cole (9 years/$324 million) and Corey Seager’s contracts (10 year/$325 million)?

You can watch or listen to the full interview by clicking the following links below: